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THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


WONDERFUL     STORIES 


LONDON  I     PRINTED  BY 

SPOTTISWOODE      AND      CO.,      NEW-STREET      SO.UAR1 
AND  PARLIAMENT    STREET 


HOW    THOR     RECOVERED     HIS     HAMMER. 


'A  J  Loki  drew  near,  the  king  of  the  frost-giants  stopped 
in  his  task''  (p.  5). 


Frontispiece. 


WONDERFUL   STORIES 


FROM 


NORTHERN      LANDS 


JULIA     GODDARD 


AUTHOR    OF 

'  THE  BOY   AND   THE   CONSTELLATIONS  '    '  KARL   ANI 
'  MORE   STORIES  '    ETC. 


WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION 

BY     THE 

REV.  GEORGE  W.  COX,  M.A. 

and 

Six     Illustrations    from     Designs     by      W.      J.      Weigand 
Engraved     by      G.      Pearson 


LONDON 
LONGMANS,     GREEN,     AND     CO. 

1871 

The  right  of  translation  is  reserved 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 

ALTHOUGH  English  children  have  long  been 
delighted  with  the  legends  of  Germany  and 
Scandinavia  as  collected  in  the  '  Household 
Stories '  of  Grimm,  and  in  Dasent's  '  Popular 
Tales  from  the  Norse/  no  use  has  yet  been 
made  of  the  materials  of  the  Eddas  and 
Sagas  of  Northern  Europe  for  the  amusement 
and  the  instruction  of  the  Young.  In  the 
belief  that  these  materials  may  be  presented 
in  a  form  as  delightful  as  that  of  the  old 
stories  with  which  all  are  familiar,  I  have 
clothed  a  few  of  the  Edda  and  other  nar- 
ratives in  language  which,  I  trust,  the  youngest 
child  may  understand  with  ease,  and  from 
which  even  they  who  have  left  childhood 
behind  them  may  derive  some  enjoyment. 


545113 

Fo  u  »-c 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION Vll 

I.  HOW  THOR   RECOVERED    HIS    HAMMER.            .            I 

II.  THE    STORY   OF   BALDER        .            .            .            .          l6 

III.  THE   STORY   OF   VOLUND        ....         41 

IV.  THOR'S   ADVENTURES   AMONG   THE   JOTUNS    .         54 
V.  SIF'S    GOLDEN    HAIR      .             .                         .            -74 

VI.  THE   WONDERFUL    QUERN   STONES           .            .         85 

vn.     THORWALD'S  BRIDAL 96 

vin.     CHRISTIN'S  TROUBLE no 

IX.  HOW   THE   WOLF    FENRIS   WAS    CHAINED          .       I2O 

X.  THE    STORY   OF    IDUNA  .  .  .'         .133 

XI.  HOW    THOR     GOT    A    CAULDRON    FOR    ACER, 

LORD   OF    HELSEYIA       .  .  .  -155 

XII.       KING  OLAF   THE   SAINT 176 

XIII.  THE   STORY   OF   FRITHIOF      .            .            .            .185 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE  KING  OF  THE  FROST-GIANTS  (page  5)      Frontispiece 
THE  DWARFS  AT  WORK        .         .  to  face  page  78 

MENIA   AND    FENIA          .  .  .  „  ,,93 

SIR   PETER   AND    THE   UGLY   SPRITE          .  „  „       117 

THOR   AMONGST   THE   GIANT'S    CATTLE    .  „  „       1 66 

KING   OLAF   AND   THE    LITTLE    PEOPLE   .  „  „       182 


INTRODUCTION. 


AMONG  the  marvels  of  the  inchanted  land  of  Folk- 
lore none  is  greater  than  the  freshness  which  every 
form  retains,  although  it  may  be  presented  to  us  in 
a  hundred  different  dresses.  We  may  see  and  feel 
that  under  all  these  disguises  we  are  looking  on  the 
same  being  ;  but  we  are  never  tired  of  listening  to 
the  tale  of  his  adventures,  slightly  as  these  may  be 
varied  in  each  of  the  many  versions  of  his  history. 
The  repetition  never  wearies  us :  the  monotony 
never  becomes  irksome.  Even  when  by  long 
acquaintance  with  some  of  these  tales  we  know 
what  is  going  to  happen  in  others,  we  read  or  listen 
for  the  thousandth  time  with  the  feeling  that 
whether  for  old  or  young  these  stories  can  never 
lose  their  charm.  The  child  to  whom  is  told  the 
old  Greek  tale  of  Psyche  and  Love, — how  she  was 
carried  away  to  a  cave  in  a  lonely  garden,  where 
her  sisters  told  her  that  she  was  wedded  to  a 


x  Introduction. 

hideous  monster,  how  by  their  evil  counsels  she 
rose  up  in  the  night  to  look  at  her  lover,  how  Love 
wakened  by  a  drop  of  oil  from  her  torch  vanished 
away  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  how  Psyche  sought  for 
him  in  all  lands  and  found  him  again  at  last  after 
achieving  three  marvellous  tasks, — will  say  at  once, 
This  is  the  story  of  Beauty  and  the  Beast,  or  some- 
thing very  like  it.  But  neither  the  child's  wonder 
nor  his  delight  will  be  lessened  when  he  reads  in 
Grimm's  story  of  the  Soaring  Lark,  how  the 
youngest  of  three  daughters  whose  father  had  to  go 
a  long  journey,  would  have  him  bring  her  a  singing, 
soaring  lark  ;  how  he  found  the  bird  on  a  tree  near 
a  splendid  castle,  and  how,  as  he  was  going  to  take 
it,  a  lion  sprang  from  behind  and  said  that  he 
should  never  have  it  unless  he  promised  to  give 
him  his  daughter  as  his  wife ;  how,  when  she  had 
been  wedded,  the  loathly  lion  became  at  night  a 
beautiful  prince  who  told  her  that  no  ray  of  light 
must  fall  upon  him  ;  how  after  a  while  at  the  mar- 
riage of  one  of  her  sisters  a  ray  pierced  through  a 
chink  of  the  door  and  fell  like  a  hair  line  upon  the 
prince,  who  in  the  same  instant  that  it  touched  him 
was  changed  into  a  dove  ;  how  when  the  dove  flew 
away  she  sought  him  for  seven  years,  and  then, 


Introduction.  xi 

aided  by  the  Sun,  the  Moon,  and  the  North  wind, 
she  found  her  husband  in  the  power  of  a  monstrous 
caterpillar;  how  the  maiden  attacked  the  huge 
insect  which  turned  into  a  woman  and  again  carried 
the  prince  away  on  the  back  of  a  griffin  ;  and  how, 
when  the  prince  was  to  be  married  to  her  enemy, 
she  was  suffered  to  enter  his  room  first  for  the  golden 
robe  which  the  Sun  gave  her,  and  then  for  the 
golden  hen  and  chickens  which  had  been  the  gift 
of  the  Moon,  and  how  on  the  second  night  the 
prince  awoke  and  found  by  his  side  the  maiden 
who  had  sought  for  him  over  the  wide  earth.  The 
child,  as  he  reads,  knows  here  that  the  maiden  is 
Psyche,  and  that  in  the  end  she  shall  meet  him 
whom  she  has  lost ;  but  he  is  none  the  less  pleased 
when  he  sees  the  same  beautiful  form  in  the  more 
homely  dress  of  the  Gaelic  tale,  which  tells  how 
the  Daughter  of  the  Skies  *  married  a  dog  who  at 
night  became  a  splendid  man,  and  when  he  discerns 
the  magic  gifts  of  the  Teutonic  bride  in  the  wonder- 
ful shears,  needle,  and  clue  which  are  made  the 
means  of  winning  back  the  lost  love  of  the  Gaelic 
maiden.  When  he  has  read  further  the  tale  of  the 
Twelve  Brothers,  of  the  Little  Brother  and  Sister, 
*  Campbell,  '  Popular  Tales  of  the  West  Highlands,'  i.  282. 


xii  Introduction. 

of  Hansel  and  Grethel,  of  the  Six  Swans,  and  of 
Little  Snow  White  in  Grimm's '  Household  Stories,' 
he  will  begin  to  feel  that  there  is  a  whole  family  of 
legends  in  which  a  maiden  has  a  beautiful  lover  on 
whom  she  is  not  suffered  to  look,  while  a  jealous 
mother  or  jealous  sisters  insist  that  the  lover  is 
hideous,  and  tempt  her  to  look  at  him  while  he  is 
asleep.  In  all  he  will  discern  the  same  machinery 
bringing  about  the  same  result, — the  dropping  of 
the  burning  liquid,  the  change  of  the  man  into  the 
bird,  the  weary  wandering  and  the  joyful  reunion 
after  the  accomplishment  of  superhuman  tasks. 
Soon  perhaps  he  may  find  that  there  is  another 
group  of  legends  in  which  the  parts  are  inverted, 
and  in  which  it  is  the  bride  who  is  snatched  away, 
while  the  bridegroom  has  to  seek  her  through  many 
a  weary  year.  Turn  where  he  may,  the  same 
images  will  meet  his  eye :  and  the  beings  who  love 
and  suffer  in  the  Norse  tale  of  East  of  the  Sun  and 
West  of  the  Moon,*  are  the  beings  whose  joys  and 
sorrows  are  told  again  in  the  Hindu  legend  of 
Urvasi  and  Pururavas,^  in  the  Deccan  tale  of  the 

*  See  the  tale  in  Dasent's  '  Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse,'  and 
the  poem  so  intitled  in  Mr.  Morris's  '  Earthly  Paradise.' 

f  Max  Muller,  'Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,'  ii.  114,  &c. 


Introduction.  xiii 

Rakshas'  Palace,*  in  the  True  Bride  and  in  the  story 
of  the  Drummer,  in  Grimm's  collection. -f*  He  may 
now  be  able  to  take  these  stories  to  pieces,  and 
to  trace  each  feature  through  groups  of  other  tales. 
Thus,  in  Grimm's  story,  the  prince  shut  up  in  the 
Iron  Stove  answers  to  the  maiden  Brynhild  im- 
prisoned within  the  walls  of  flame  on  the  Glistening 
Heath,  while  the  little  toad  which  helps  the  princess 
is  the  Frog  Prince  who  brings  back  the  golden  ball, 
the  bright  orb  of  the  Sun,  to  the  Dawn  maiden  who 
has  suffered  it  to  fall  into  the  water.  Of  course 
the  princess  has  to  wander  in  search  of  the  tenant 
of  the  Iron  Stove,  and  to  serve  like  Cinderella  as  a 
kitchen-maid  ;  of  course  she  too  has  three  nuts  (the 
gifts  of  the  little  toad),  from  which  she  draws  forth 
garments  more  brilliant  than  silver  or  gold,  and  of 
course  she  wins  back  her  lover  just  like  the  maiden 
in  the  story  of  the  Soaring  Lark. 

We  have  thus  in  our  hands  the  clue  which  may 
guide  us  through  the  mazes  of  folklore  stories  to 
fountains  of  delight  which  can  never  be  drained 
dry.  It  may  be  impossible,  perhaps,  to  bring  back 
the  precise  feeling  which  these  stories  may  severally 

*  Frere,  '  Old  Deccan  Days,'  p.  205,  &c. 
f  '  Household  Stories.' 


xiv  Introduction. 

have  inspired  in  those  who  knew  but  few  of  them ; 
but  even  young  readers  at  the  present  day  will 
probably  have  devoured  not  only  the  '  Household 
Stories '  of  Grimm,  and  the  Norse  Tales  of  Dasent, 
but  the  West  Highland  legends  of  Campbell,  the 
Deccan  Tales  of  Miss  Frere,  the  Icelandic  legends 
of  Powell  and  Magniisson,  and  many  more.  That 
all  these  stories  exhibit  the  same  elements,  he  must 
soon  discover.  It  is  well  that  he  should  learn  to 
draw  pleasure  from  sources  which  will  never  fail 
him,  and  withal  grow  wiser  as  he  recognises  old 
friends  under  new  forms  in  the  legends  of  Greeks 
and  Hindus,  of  Norwegians,  Germans,  Spaniards, 
and  Englishmen. 

Not  a  few  of  these  old  friends  will  be  recognised 
in  the  stories  gathered  in  this  volume  from  the 
Eddas  and  other  sources  of  Northern  folklore. 
There  may  be  repetition,  but  there  is  no  same- 
ness; and  the  common  joys  and  sorrows  which 
these  tales  reveal,  impart  to  them  an  indescrib- 
able charm.  Many,  if  not  most  of  them,  bring 
before  us  that  great  tragedy  of  nature  which  has 
stirred  the  hearts  of  poets  in  all  countries  and  in 
all  ages.  Gods  and  men  all  mourn  the  absence  of 
the  bright  being  without  whom  life  and  gladness 


Introduction,  xv 

seem  alike  to  be  lost.  In  the  story  of  Balder  (II.) 
we  have,  in  Bunsen's  words,  'the  tragedy  of  the 
solar  year,  the  murdered  and  risen  god, '  '  familiar  to 
us  from  the  days  of  ancient  Egypt/  and  '  of  equally 
primeval  origin  here.'  *  When  the  gods  stand 
round  him  as  the  end  draws  nigh,  and  shoot  their 
arrows  at  him,  we  have  the  story  which  the  Greeks 
told  of  Sarpedon,  the  chief  of  the  far-off  Eastern 
land,  who  in  one  version  is  brought  to  life  again 
like  Balder,  like  Osiris,  and  like  Memnon,  the 
glistening  Son  of  the  Dawn.  But  nothing  on  earth 
can  hurt  Balder,  except  one  little  plant  of  whom 
Odin  thought  it  not  worth  while  to  exact  the  oath 
sworn  by  all  other  creatures.  In  other  words,  he 
can  be  slain  only  in  one  way,  as  Achilleus  and 
other  heroes  are  vulnerable  only  in  one  part ;  and 
thus  his  death  comes  from  his  blind  brother,  the 
darkness  which  slays  the  summer  sun  when  the 
nights  begin  to  get  longer  than  the  day.  But  the 
day  of  vengeance  soon  comes,  and  he  is  avenged 
by  his  young  brother  Ali  or  Wali,  whose  birth 
marks  the  gradual  rising  again  of  the  sun  after  the 
winter  solstice,  until  Balder  the  Beautiful  once 
more  reigns  in  Ganzblick  or  Breidablick,  the  abode 
•*  '  God  in  History,'  ii.  458. 


xvi  Introduction. 

of  pure  light,  as  Zeus  dwells  in  Lykoreia,  the 
mountain  of  light,  and  the  sun  god  treads  the 
shining  path  of  Lykosoura.  The  same  thought 
marks  the  story  of  Christin's  trouble  (VIII.)  ;  and 
in  Christin  we  have  the  lovely  Eurydike  who  is 
snatched  from  her  lover  as  soon  as  she  becomes  his 
bride.  Orpheus  in  the  Northern  tale  has  become 
Sir  Peter,  but  the  change  scarcely  goes  beyond  the 
name.  Like  Orpheus,  he  seizes  his  golden  harp, 
which  is  to  rescue  her  from  the  ugly  sprite  who 
represents  Hades  or  Polydegmon  in  the  Greek 
story.  When  he  strikes  the  chords  for  the  third 
time,  a  white  arm  is  raised  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  It  is  the  arm  of  Christin.  As  he  goes  on 
playing,  Christin  lifts  her  head  above  the  water ;  but 
wiser  than  Orpheus,  he  takes  care  that  his  bride 
shall  be  on  firm  land  before  he  ceases  from  his  task. 
The  gradual  rising  of  Christin  leads  us  to  Grimm's 
story  of  the  Nix  of  the  Mill-pond,  where  the  parts 
are  again  reversed,  and  the  bride  is  seeking  to  rescue 
her  lost  lover  from  the  waters.  The  spell  of 
Orpheus  and  Sir  Peter  lies  in  this  story  in  a  golden 
comb,  a  flute,  and  a  spinning-wheel.  When  the 
maiden  plies  her  comb,  his  hand  appears :  when 
she  touches  the  flute,  his  head  is  seen ;  when  she 


Introduction. 


xvn 


comes  with  the  wheel,  he  leaps  from  the  water  and 
once  more  stands  by  her  side. 

Still  more  striking  is  the  story  of  Iduna,  whose 
golden  apples  are  the  apples  of  the  Hesperides, 
which  in  Grimm's  tale  of  the  Old  Griffin  have  the 
power  of  instantaneously  restoring  to  health  the 
King's  daughter.  Iduna  is,  in  short,  the  beautiful 
maiden  whose  capture  by  the  giant  Thiasse  is  the 
stealing  away  of  Persephone  from  the  plains  of 
Enna  by  the  terrible  Hades  or  Polydegmon.  In 
each  case  all  nature  feels  her  loss,  and  gods  and  men 
mourn  because  all  strength  and  joy  and  beauty  are 
taken  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  flowers  refuse 
to  bloom,  the  seed  will  not  grow,  the  trees  will  not 
put  forth  their  leaves,  while  the  maiden  remains  in 
the  dark  land,  and  the  mourning  mother  grieves  at 
Eleusis  until  her  child  comes  back.  Then  the  joy 
of  Bragi,  like  that  of  Demeter,  is  greater  than  the 
sorrow  which  has  happily  passed  away,  and  thus  in 
Bunsen's  words  we  have  here  a  story  which  '  is  an 
exact  counterpart  of  the  earliest  myth  of  Herakles, 
who  falls  into  the  sleep  of  winter  and  lies  there 
stiff  and  stark  till  lolaos  wakes  him  by  holding  a 
quail  to  his  nose.'  *  Iduna  too  comes  back  in  the 

*    '  God  in  History,'  ii.  488. 

a 


xviii  Introduction. 

shape  of  a  quail,  the  bird  of  spring,  the  quail 
Artemis  who  has  her  home  on  the  Ortygian  island. 
This  return  of  the  stolen  or  captive  maiden  is  one 
of  the  subjects  to  which  the  imagination  of  the 
North  was  most  powerfully  attracted.  We  have  it 
in  Grimm's  story  of  Rapunzel  who  is  imprisoned 
in  the  dismal  tower,  to  which  the  lover  ascends  on 
the  ladder  made  by  her  golden  hair,  the  golden 
locks  which  are  stolen  away  from  Sif  (V.)  by  Loki, 
and  restored  after  a  while  more  beautiful  than  ever. 
We  have  it  in  the  story  of  the  Dwarfs,*  in  which 
the  maiden,  like  Persephone,  eats  a  golden  apple  and 
sinks  a  hundred  fathoms  down  in  the  earth,  where 
the  prince  finds  her  with  the  nine-headed  dragon 
on  her  lap,  We  see  her  again  in  the  princess  who 
lies  seemingly  dead  in  the  House  of  Wood,f  which 
breaks  up  in  the  spring  like  the  ice.  There  is  no 
mistaking  the  sudden  thaw  at  the  end  of  a  Northern 
winter,  as  we  read  how  the  '  sides  crack,' '  the  doors 
were  slammed  back  against  the  walls,  the  beams 
groaned  as  if  they  were  being  riven  away  from 
their  fastenings  ;  the  stairs  fell  down,  and  at  last  it 
seemed  as  if  the  whole  roof  fell  in.'  In  the  beau- 
tiful palace,  in  which  the  princess  on  becoming  con- 

*  Grimm.  f  Ibid. 


Introduction.  xix 

scious  finds  herself,  we  see  the  loveliness  which 
the  earth  puts  on,  on  the  sudden  outburst  of 
spring. 

The  image  of  Iduna  is  but  a  reflection  of  that  of 
Ingebjorg  in  the  story  of  Frithiof  (XIII.),  who  is 
deprived  of  his  chosen  bride  as  Bragi  is  despoiled  by 
Thiasse  (X.).  Here  the  enemy  whose  wife  Ingebjorg 
becomes,  while  Frithiof  is  gone  to  the  Orkneys,  is 
old  King  Ring,  who  appears  in  a  more  sombre  and 
less  kindly  guise  in  the  old  Rink-rank  of  the 
German  story,*  and  in  the  Troll  in  the  legend  of  the 
Old  Dame  and  her  Hen  in  Dasent's  collection.-f- 
Ingebjorg  here  becomes  the  wife  of  Frithiof's 
enemy ;  but  in  other  respects  there  is  very  little 
difference  between  his  story  and  that  of  Odysseus 
(Ulysses).  Like  the  chieftain  of  Ithaka,  he  comes 
back  to  find  his  home  spoiled  and  his  wealth  gone ; 
like  him,  he  returns  in  mean  disguise  (as  do  Boots 
and  the  Princes  in  scores  of  German  stories)  ;  like 
him  he  is  recognised  by  his  dog,  and  jeered  and 
flouted  by  the  courtiers,  until  one  who  ventures 
to  lay  hands  on  him  receives  forthwith  the  punish- 
ment of  Arnaios  or  Iros  in  the  Odyssey.  Like  him, 
when  he  throws  off  his  mean  dress,  he  appears  in  all 

t  '  Popular  Talcs  from  the  Norse. ' 


xx  Introduction. 

the  radiant  beauty  of  youth,  for  Athene,  the  Dawn 
maiden,  can  make  men  young  though  twenty  years 
of  toil  and  sorrow  may  have  passed  since  they 
had  left  their  homes.  Of  course,  Ring  dies,  and 
Ingebjorg  becomes  at  last  the  wife  of  Frithiof,  as 
Penelope  is  at  last  restored  to  Odysseus. 

But  Frithiof  has  a  magic  ship  Ellide,  which  knows 
his  will  and  obeys  his  bidding;  and  this  ship  is 
none  other  than  the  patient  ox  in  the  story  of  Olaf 
the  Saint  (XII.),  whose  word  makes  the  slow  brute 
bound  like  a  stag  and  fly  with  the  swiftness  of  an 
eagle.  These  ships  are  the  same  as  Skidbladnir, 
the  magic  bark  of  Freya,  which  can  hold  all  the 
yEsir  and  can  yet  be  folded  up  like  a  kerchief ;  the 
iron-boat  in  the  story  of  Big  Bird  Dan,*  which 
'  moves  if  you  only  say,  Boat,  boat,  go  on  ; '  the  ships 
of  the  Phaiakians  which  have  neither  helm  nor 
rigging,  but  which,  veiled  in  mist,  visit  every  city 
and  corn-field  in  the  earth.  The  clouds  can  move 
where  they  will,  and  without  helmsmen  or  rowers 
they  never  fail  to  reach  their  destination ;  and  so  no 
harm  can  befall  the  fleet  of  Alkinoos  or  the  good 
ships  of  Frithiof  and  Olaf. 

In  the  stories  of  Christin  (VIII.)  and  Iduna  (X.), 

4;  Dasent,  '  Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse.' 


Introduction.  xxi 

we  have  seen  beautiful  maidens  shut  up  in  the  heart 
of  the  earth.  In  the  story  of  the  giant  Thrym  (I.) 
it  is  Thor's  magic  hammer  which  is  stolen  away  and 
buried  eight  fathoms  deep.  On  this  hammer,  as 
on  the  presence  of  Iduna,  the  power  of  the  vEsir 
depends.  In  the  version  here  followed,  Thor  goes 
to  the  dwelling  of  Thrym  disguised  as  a  woman, 
an  incident  which  vividly  recalls  similar  scenes  in 
the  Greek  stories  of  Theseus,  Dionysos,  Odysseus 
and  Achilleus.  But  it  was  also  told  that  the 
hammer  came  back  of  itself,  rising  one  mile  in  each 
year  for  eight  years,  till  it  reaches  once  more  the 
abode  of  Thor.  Like  this  hammer,  the  Glass 
Coffin*  rises  through  the  floors  of  ice  to  the  upper 
air,  and  the  case,  when  opened,  expands  into  a 
magnificent  castle.  Like  this  hammer,  too,  the 
brazen  hammer  in  the  Greek  story  takes  nine  years 
to  descend  from  the  earth  into  the  lowest  depths  of 
Tartaros. 

The  vein  of  quiet  humour  and  familiarity  with 
the  highest  gods  is  a  prominent  characteristic  of 
Northern  stories.  This  humour  passes  into  seeming 
irreverence  in  the  stories  of  the  Master  Smith,-fbut 

*  Grimm,  '  Household  Stories.' 
\  Daient,  '  Norse  Tales. ' 


xxii  Introduction. 

it  is  not  peculiar  to  the  folklore  of  Northern  Europe. 
The  tricks  of  Loki  the  god  of  the  fire  are  the  tricks 
of  the  Greek  Hermes,  the  Master  Thief  who  steals 
cattle  when  he  is  six  hours  old,  and  then  going  back 
to  his  cradle  in  the  guise  of  a  babe  calmly  says  that 
he  knows  not  what  kind  of  things  cows  are  ;  *  nor  is 
Thor  himself  (IV.)  more  genial  and  rollicking  than 
the  Greek  Herakles  in  many  of  the  stories  related 
of  him.  There  is  close  kindred  again  between  Loki 
and  the  fire-god  Hephaistos,  the  Latin  Vulcanus, 
who  are  reflected  again  in  Volund  (III.),  (the  Way- 
land  Smith  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  '  Kenilworth,')  who 
has  a  beautiful  Valkyrie  wife,  as  in  the  Iliad  the 
lovely  Charis  is  the  wife  of  the  limping  Hephaistos, 
the  youngest  of  the  gods. 

The  wonderful  quern  in  the  story  of  Frothi  (VI.) 
is  one  of  a  vast  number  of  vessels  which  are  inex- 
haustible sources  of  wealth.  It  is,  again,  a  quern 
in  the  Norse  tale  '  Why  the  Sea  is  Salt; '  but  the 
same  thought  is  presented  in  the  horn  of  Amal- 
theia,  in  the  can  or  pail  of  the  milkwoman  in  the 
Hindu  story  of  Surya  Bai,f  in  the  horn  of  Oberon, 
and  the  cauldron  of  Ceridwen.  It  is,  in  short,  the 

*  '  Tales  of  Ancient  Greece,'  p.  23. 
t  Frere,  '  Old  Deccan  Days.' 


Introduction.  xxiii 

huge  cauldron  which  Thor  got  for  the  giant  Oegir 
(Ager)  (XL),  and  whose  savoury  contents  went  spon- 
taneously to  each  guest  as  he  might  wish  for  them. 
It  is  the  goblet  of  Tegan  Euroron,  the  dish  of 
Rhydderch,  the  basket  of  Gwyddno,  the  table  of  the 
Ethiopians  to  which  no  good  thing  is  ever  lacking, 
the  lamp  of  Allah-ud-deen,*  who  has  only  to  rub 
it  and  get  all  that  his  heart  may  desire. 

In  the  chaining  of  Fenris  (IX.)  the  wolf  is  the 
great  enemy  of  the  ^Esir,  and  his  kinsfolk  are  the 
great  serpent  Jormungand  and  Hela  the  ghastly 
goddess  of  death.  He  is  the  evil  beast  who  is  to 
devour  the  moon  when  the  twilight  of  the  gods  has 
come :  meanwhile,  he  finds  occupation  in  swallow- 
ing maidens  or  goats,  for  he  is  the  wolf  who  eats 
Little  Red  Capf  or  Red  Riding  Hood,  and  swallows 
the  six  little  goats  in  the  German  story.  J 

The  story  of  Thorvald  (VII.)  has  been  sug- 
gested by  a  beautiful  feature  in  the  mythology 
which  relates  to  the  land  of  the  ^Esir.  The 
search  for  the  foundation  of  Bifrost,  the  rainbow 
bridge  of  Heimdall,  the  lord  of  Himinbjorg,  the 
city  of  heaven,  is  that  yearning  of  the  soul  for  a 

*  '  Arabian  Nights. ' 

•f  Grimm,  '  Household  Stories.' 

J  Ibid.  •  The  Wolf  and  the  Seven  Little  Goats.' 


xxiv  Introduction. 

beauty  unattainable  on  the  earth,  which  finds  ex- 
pression in  the  Christian  legend  of  the  Monk  and 
the  Bird,*  whose  singing,  like  that  of  Hjarrandi  in 
the  Gudrunlied  can  make  a  hundred  years  seem 
as  but  a  moment. 

Scarcely  less  powerful  than  the  spell  of  Hjarrandi 
is  the  charm  of  these  stories,  which  delighted  the 
common  forefathers  of  Danes  and  Germans,  Nor- 
wegians and  Englishmen,  Franks  and  Icelanders. 
We  stand  before  a  palace  with  a  thousand  doors, 
in  which  each  room  reveals  wonders  at  once  old 
and  new ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  key,  which 
with  these  few  words  I  place  in  the  reader's  hand, 
will  enable  him  to  wander  at  will  through  an 
enchanted  abode  beautiful  as  the  Ganzblick  in 
which  Balder  dwelt,  for  it  does  indeed  bring  before 
us  the  wonderful  works  of  God,  as  they  appeared  to 
the  minds  of  men  and  women  like  ourselves,  who 
lived  in  the  fresh  childhood  of  the  world. 

G.  W.  C. 

*  See  the  poem  of  Archbishop  Trench. 


WONDERFUL    STORIES. 


i. 

HOW  THOR  RECOVERED  HIS 
HAMMER. 

THOR  was  a  mighty  god.  He  ruled  the  summer- 
heat  and  raging  thunder,  and  none  among  the 
Northern  gods  was  more  powerful  than  he.  His 
beard  was  red  as  gold,  and  he  wore  a  crown  of 
twelve  stars.  His  eyes  flashed  lightning  when  he 
went  forth  to  battle,  and  the  sound  of  his  chariot- 
wheels  echoed  through  the  heavens.  Greater  was 
his  palace  than  any  ever  built  by  man,  and  its 
halls  gleamed  as  with  the  brightness  of  fire. 

Strongest  of  all  the  gods  was  Thor,  and  as  if  he 
had  not  strength  enough  in  himself,  it  fell  to  his 
lot  to  own  three  things  which  made  him  so  mighty 
that  none  might  withstand  him :  his  belt  of  power, 
which  gave  him  double  strength  whenever  he 
B 


2  Wonderful  Stories. 

girded  it  on;  his  iron  gloves;  and  the  wonderful 
hammer  Miolnir. 

This  marvellous  hammer  was  as  much  coveted 
by  the  other  gods  as  it  was  prized  by  Thor,  since 
no  evil  could  befall  him  who  possessed  it.  But  if 
Miolnir  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Jotuns  or 
giants,  Thor  would  lose  his  power  and  the  Jotuns 
would  reign  in  Asgard. 

Asgard  was  the  beautiful  country  of  the  good 
gods — who  were  called  Asi — smiling  and  fertile, 
with  green  pastures,  clear  broad  rivers,  wild  hunting- 
grounds,  and  fruits  and  flowers  such  as  no  child  of 
earth  has  ever  seen;  whilst  Jotunheim,  where  the 
giants  lived,  was  a  bleak  desolate  land  with  barren 
mountains  and  scarcely  a  tree  or  flower.  Hence  it 
was  not  strange  that  the  giants  should  wish  to 
change  their  dreary  country  for  the  blooming 
kingdom  of  Asgard. 

Amongst  the  Jotuns  was  a  powerful  king  whose 
name  was  Thrym.  He  was  lord  of  the  Thursi — the 
cold,  shivering  Thursi  who  knew  not  what  warmth 
was.  Very  gloomy  was  the  region  over  which 
Thrym  reigned,  and  wherever  he  went  cold  and 
wretchedness  followed  in  his  train. 

He  was  a  shaggy-looking  giant  with  wrinkled 


How  T/wr  recovered  his  Hammer.         3 

brow  and  furrowed  cheeks,  and  hair  and  beard  as 
white  as  snow.  His  hands  were  hard  and  cold  as 
ice,  and  his  touch  alone  would  freeze  the  blood  in  a 
man's  veins.  He  was  quite  as  cold  as  his  shivering 
people,  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  since  in 
the  land  of  the  Thursi  there  is  no  summer.  It  was 
winter,  bleak  winter,  all  the  year  round. 

Now  Thrym,  in  his  dreary  home,  often  longed  to 
have  the  beautiful  Asgard  for  his  kingdom  ;  and 
once  he  was  very  near  getting  it  ;  for,  whilst  Thor 
lay  in  a  heavy  sleep,  Thrym  seized  his  wonderful 
hammer,  and  hid  it  away. 

Great  was  the  wrath  of  Thor  when  he  awoke 
and  found  his  hammer  gone.  He  was  a  little 
frightened  too ;  that  is,  as  frightened  as  it  was- 
possible  for  so  great  a  god  to  be.  But  he  was  far 
more  angry  than  frightened ;  for  how  should  a 
Jotun  dare  to  take  the  hammer  of  Thor? 

His  anger  was  hot  within  him,  and  yet  he  must 
not  show  it,  for  it  would  go  ill  with  him  if  everyone 
should  know  of  his  loss.  Some  of  the  Jotuns,  wiser 
than  Thrym,  might  take  advantage  of  it,  as  Thrym 
would  certainly  have  done  had  he  known  the  value 
of  his  prize. 

B  2 


4  Wonderful  Stories. 

Thor  therefore  calmed  himself,  and,  after  ponder- 
ing for  awhile,  he  called  to  Loki,  the  lord  of  the 
mighty  fire,  and  told  him  what  had  happened. 
And  when  they  had  taken  counsel  together,  they 
agreed  to  go  to  Freyia  and  ask  her  to  help  them. 

Freyia  was  the  lovely  wife  of  Oder.  Her  eyes 
were  bluer  than  the  blue  forget-me-not,  her  com- 
plexion fairer  than  lilies  and  roses,  her  teeth  were 
like  pearls  in  a  setting  of  coral,  and  her  hair  like 
glittering  threads  of  gold. 

'  What  dost  thou  want  of  me,  O  mighty  Thor  ?' 
asked  Freyia. 

'  I  want  a  robe  with  wings  that  will  carry  the 
wearer  round  the  world,'  answered  Thor.  '  The 
giant  Thrym  has  stolen  my  hammer,  and  I  must 
get  it  back  without  delay.' 

'Thou  shalt  have  a  robe,  and  that  speedily,' 
returned  Freyia,  '  though  it  should  be  woven  with 
silver  and  gold.' 

For  Freyia  knew  how  needful  it  was  that  Thor 
should  win  back  his  hammer,  and  forthwith  she 
brought  forth  from  one  of  her  great  brazen-clasped 
chests  a  shining  robe,  with  wings  that  flashed  and 
sparkled  in  the  sunlight. 

Thor  took  it  very  thankfully,  and  giving  it  to 


How  Thor  recovered  his  Hammer.        ,5 

Loki,  said,  '  Now  put  it  on  and  fly  away  to  Thrym, 
and  bid  him  to  give  me  back  Miolnir,  lest  I  come 
in  wrath  and  take  terrible  vengeance  upon  him.' 

Then  Loki  donned  the  shining  dress,  highly 
pleased  to  find  that  the  sparkling  wings  moved  so 
easily  that  they  would  bear  him  through  the  air 
like  a  bird  ;  and  he  answered  cheerily,  '  No  fear ! 
No  fear !  I  will  bring  Miolnir  home  with  me.' 

And  away  he  flew ;  and  the  moving  of  the  silver 
wings  made  a  pleasant  noise  like  the  clashing  of 
sweet-toned  cymbals ;  and  Thor  watched  him 
flashing  along  like  a  shooting  star  until  he  was  lost 
in  the  distance. 

On,  on  he  flew,  swifter  than  the  wind,  on  towards 
Jotunheim. 

Thrym  was  seated  upon  his  throne,  a  great 
mound  of  snow,  frozen  so  hard  that  the  Thursi  had 
carved  it  into  the  form  of  a  chair.  And  Thrym 
was  making  collars  for  his  dogs,  and  combing  his 
horses. 

As  Loki  drew  near,  the  king  of  the  frost-giants 
stopped  in  his  task,  and,  looking  up,  said,  '  How 
are  you,  Loki,  and  what  brings  you  to  Jotunheim  ?' 

Now  Thrym  knew  quite  well  why  Loki  had 
come,  but  he  wished  to  hear  what  he  would  say.  . 


6  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  The  gods  are  full  of  anger  because  you  have 
stolen  Thor's  hammer,'  replied  Loki;  'and  they 
will  not  be  appeased  until  you  have  given  it  up 
again.' 

'  That  is  a  likely  thing/  returned  Thrym.  '  Why 
should  I  give  it  back  when  I  have  had  the  trouble 
of  taking  it  ?  If  they  will  give  me  something  in 
exchange,  then  I  may  perhaps  think  about  it.' 

'  What  do  you  want  ? '  asked  Loki. 

Thrym  considered  for  a  moment,  and  then  he 
said,  '  You  see  that  I  am  very  dull  and  lonely  here, 
in  spite  of  my  being  king.  I  should  be  much  happier 
if  I  had  a  wife,  and  I  can't  find  anyone  among  the 
Jotuns  to  suit  me.  Now,  I  have  never  seen  anyone 
so  beautiful  as  Freyia,  and  Freyia  I  must  have  for 
a  wife.' 

'  Freyia  ! '  shouted  Loki — '  Freyia,  the  wife  of 
Oder  ? ' 

'  Yes,  Freyia/  answered  Thrym,  quite  calmly. 
'  And  no  one  shall  have  Thor's  hammer  unless 
Freyia  comes  hither  to  be  my  bride.' 

'Freyia!'  repeated  Loki,  for  he  was  too  much 
surprised  to  say  anything  else. 

'  Yes,  Freyia/  said  Thrym  once  more.  '  I  have 
stowed  the  hammer  away  safely.  It  is  hidden  eight 


How  Thor  recovered  his  Hammer.        7 

fathoms  deep  under  the  ice  and  snow,  and  unless 
you  bring  Freyia  with  you,  you  need  not  trouble 
yourself  to  come  here  again.' 

And  Thrym  went  on  combing  the  tangled  mane 
of  one  of  the  horses ;  and  as  he  combed  it,  he 
hummed  a  song — at  least  what  sounded  like  a 
song  to  him,  but  if  you  had  heard  it  you  would 
have  thought  it  a  peal  of  thunder. 

After  he  had  combed  the  mane  to  his  pleasure, 
he  whistled  to  one  of  his  dogs.  And  if  you  had 
heard  him  whistling,  you  would  have  supposed  it 
to  be  the  great  north-wind  warring  and  blustering 
as  though  it  would  tear  up  the  giant  oaks. 

A  great  fierce  dog  came  bounding  up  in  answer 
to  the  summons,  and  Thrym  fitted  one  of  the 
golden  collars  round  his  neck. 

After  which  Thrym  looked  up  at  Loki. 

'  Why  are  you  waiting  ? '  said  he ;  '  you  had  better 
fly  away  with  my  message  to  the  gods.  Tell  them, 
If  Thor  wants  his  hammer,  he  shall  have  it  as 
soon  as  they  send  Freyia  to  me.' 

Loki  knew  that  there  was  no  use  in  further 
words.  The  giant  Thrym  had  made  up  his  mind, 
and  nothing  that  he  could  say  would  alter  it. 

So,  spreading  out  his  wings,  he  sped  again  to 


8  Wonderfiil  Stories. 

Asgard,  to  tell  the  gods  how  ill  he  had  fared 
with  his  errand. 

On  his  way  to  the  palace,  of  Oder,  he  met  with 
Thor. 

'  What  is  to  be  done  ? '  asked  Thor,  when  he  had 
heard  what  Loki  had  to  tell  him. 

*  We  must  take  counsel  again  with  Freyia,  and 
see  if  she  can  help  us.' 

Together  they  went  to  the  palace. 

'  How  have  you  prospered  ? '  asked  Freyia. 

'  But  ill,'  replied  Loki ;  and  then  he  told  her 
what  had  befallen  him  with  Thrym. 

The  roses  in  Freyia's  cheeks  turned  crimson  as 
peonies  when  she  heard  what  Thrym  wanted,  and 
her  blue  eyes  shot  forth  flames  like  fire.  She 
stamped  with  rage,  and  paced  wildly  up  and  down 
the  marble  floor.  How  should  the  beautiful  wife 
of  Oder  become  the  wife  of  the  Jotun  Thrym  ? 

'  You  should  have  taken  better  care  of  the 
hammer,'  said  she  to  Thor.  '  Do  you  think  that  I 
am  going  to  leave  Asgard  just  to  please  you  ? 
Thrym  may  keep  Miolnir  for  all  I  care.  I  will 
never  be  queen  of  the  Thursi.  I  tell  you  I  will 
not  go.' 

'  If  you  do  not  go,  we  shall  all  have  to  leave 


How  Thor  recovered  his  Hammer,        9 

Asgard  together,'  replied  Thor  ;  '  for  it  will  soon  be 
noised  abroad  that  Thrym  has  stolen  my  hammer, 
and  the  J-otuns  will  come  at  once  and  seize  our 
beautiful  country,  and  no  one  can  hinder  them.' 

Then  all  the  gods  who  had  been  waiting  for 
Loki's  return  began  to  urge  first  one  thing  and  then 
another;  and  as  no  one  liked  to  have  his  counsel 
set  aside,  they  all  waxed  fierce  and  shouted  at  one 
another,  until  there  was  such  an  uproar  that  it  was 
quite  impossible  to  hear  anything  that  was  said ; 
and  all  the  time  Freyia  was  pacing  up  and  down, 
tearing  her  hair  and  weeping,  and  saying  again  and 
again  that  she  would  never  be  the  bride  of  the 
Jotun  Thrym. 

I  do  not  know  how  long  this  state  of  things 
would  have  lasted,  had  not  a  very  wise  god,  named 
Heimdall,  stepped  forward  to  say  how  they  might 
win  back  Thor's  hammer,  though  Freyia  should  yet 
remain  in  Asgard. 

'  Let  us  dress  Thor  in  Freyia's  garments,'  said 
Heimdall.  •'  With  Freyia's  silken  robes,  and  bright 
necklace,  and  a  long  veil  over  his  face,  he  may 
deceive  Thrym,  and  win  back  the  hammer  himself.' 

'  That  will  do,  that  will  do,'  shouted  the  gods,  all 
excepting  Thor. 


io  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  That  will  do,'  cried  Freyia  ;  '  the  thought  is 
good.' 

But  Thor  did  not  think  it  good,  and  his  wrath  at 
the  counsel  was  even  greater  than  the  rage  of 
Freyia  had  been.  The  walls  of  the  palace  shook  as 
he  strode  up  and  down  the  great  hall,  and  he  waved 
his  arms  about  so  fiercely  that  the  other  gods  were 
fain  to  keep  out  of  his  way,  since  a  blow  from  the 
heavy  hand  of  Thor  would  have  smitten  them  to 
the  ground.  But  the  crafty  Loki  crept  near  to  him 
and  whispered,  '  Nay,  Thor,  be  not  angry.  Think 
yet  again.  Heimdall  has  not  spoken  unwisely. 
Something  must  be  done,  and  that  right  quickly,  if 
the  gods  are  to  reign  yet  in  Asgard.  If  your 
hammer  is  not  forthwith  brought  back,  we  shall 
have  the  Jotuns  upon  us  before  we  are  aware  ; 
and  then  all  will  be  over  with  the  Asi,  and  they 
must,  sorrowing,  depart  from  this  land  of  joy  and 
beauty.' 

'What!  am  I  to  be  dressed  as  a  woman?' 
thundered  Thor. 

'  It  is  only  a  wise  trick  to  enable  you  to  act  as  a 
man  and  a  god,'  returned  Loki.  '  What  matters 
it  if,  for  once  in  your  life,  you  put  on  a  flowing  veil 
and  glittering  ornaments  ?  It  is  better  than  to  be 


How  Thor  recovered  his  Hammer.      1 1 

banished  from  your  home,  or,  worse  still,  to  be  a 
slave  to  the  Thursi.' 

Thus  spake  Loki,  till  at  last  Thor  suffered  him- 
self to  be  dressed  as  a  bride.  His  hair  was  braided 
and  hung  with  jewels,  Freyia's  necklace  was  placed 
round  his  neck,  while  her  keys  dangled  at  his  belt. 
And  over  all  the  tiring  maidens  flung  a  long  veil  of 
shimmering  silver-gauze.  Truly  he  looked  a  very 
stately  bride,  a  head  taller  than  most  of  the  Asi  ; 
but  then  you  must  remember  that  Thrym  was  a 
giant,  so  that  by  his  side  Thor  would  not  look  so 
large. 

Well  pleased  that  he  had  thus  prevailed  with 
Thor,  Loki  made  ready  the  chariot  drawn  by  two 
strong  he- goats,  and  he  and  Thor  stepping  into  it, 
they  set  off  upon  their  journey. 

The  mountains  shook  at  the  rumbling  of  the 
chariot- wheels,  the  earth  trembled,  and  the  great 
oaks  bent  their  heads  ;  for  all  things  knew  that 
Thor,  the  son  of  Odin,  journeyed  along,  and  that 
he  was  in  terrible  wrath. 

Soon  there  was  a  stir  throughout  the  land  of  the 
Thursi.  For  Thrym  had  heard  the  panting  of  the 
he-gcats,  and  had  called  to  his  people  and  said, 
'  Up,  up,  ye  Thursi !  stir  yourselves,  make  ready  a 


1 2  Wonderful  Stories. 

feast,  and  prepare  for  merry  doings.  My  bride 
cometh  from  the  land  of  Asgard.  Up,  up !  and 
greet  her  loyally.' 

And  the  Thursi  roused  themselves,  and  the  feast 
was  spread  in  the  banqueting-hall.  Great  barrels 
of  mead ;  oxen  and  sheep  roasted  whole ;  huge  sal- 
mon, and  savoury  cates,  all  mighty  in  size,  as 
became  the  greatness  of  the  Jotun  Thrym. 

And  Thrym,  king  of  the  Thursi,  listened  eagerly. 
Louder  and  louder  sounded  the  whirring  of  the 
chariot- wheels.  Swiftly  the  chariot  drew  nearer,  for 
the  he-goats  sped  too  fleetly  to  touch  the  ground. 
Thrym  could  see  it  now — a  small  speck  far  away 
in  the  blue  distance.  Soon  he  could  discern  the 
polished  horns  of  the  goats  shining  in  the  sunlight, 
and  the  showers  of  glittering  sparks  and  flashes  of 
fire  that  played  around  the  chariot.  Nearer — nearer. 
And  then  was  heard  a  roar  of  many  voices  shout- 
ing, '  Welcome  to  the  wife  of  Oder  !  Welcome  to 
the  beautiful  Freyia  !  Welcome  to  the  bride  of 
Thrym  !' 

Thor's  wrath  burned  within  him,  but  Loki 
twitched  his  veil  and  besought  him  to  curb  his 
anger,  whilst  Thrym,  stalking  through  the  frost- 
giants,  stepped  forward  to  hand  out  the  bride  from 


How  Tkor  recovered  Ids  Hammer.       1 3 

the  chariot.  But  Loki  glided  in  between  them. 
'  Let  me  lead  the  bride  into  the  banquet/  he  said. 
'  None  must  speak  to  her  until  after  supper.' 

And  Loki  led  Thor  to  the  festal  board,  whisper- 
ing as  he  went  along,  '  Do  not  betray  yourself  too 
soon.' 

Thor  was  scarcely  in  the  humour  to  take  counsel 
from  anyone  ;  nevertheless  he  remained  silent,  and 
moodily  seated  himself  at  the  table. 

The  Thursi  looked  admiringly  at  the  splendid 
figure,  covered  with  sparkling  jewels  that  shone  out 
hazily  through  the  flowing  veil.  The  king  himself 
gazed  with  delight,  for  he  believed  that  he  had  won 
a  right  fair  bride,  and  had  humbled  the  pride  of 
the  Asi. 

She  can  eat  well,  too,  thought  he,  as  the  bride 
devoured  a  full-grown  ox  and  eight  salmon,  and 
drank  three  firkins  of  the  frothing  mead. 

'  What  a  hungry  maiden  ! '  quoth  he  in  an  under- 
tone. 

Loki  heard  it,  and,  leaning  forward,  answered, 
'  Her  appetite  is  great,  O  Thrym  !  for  she  hath 
neither  eaten  nor  drunk  for  eight  long  days,  so 
much  hath  she  desired  to  see  thee.' 

Then  Thrym,  king  of  the  Thursi,  felt  pleased, 


14  Wonderf id  Stories. 

and,  when  supper  was  over,  he  lifted  the  veil  to  give 
the  bride  a  kiss. 

The  tiring  maidens  had  painted  Thor's  face  with 
white  and  red  to  look  like  a  woman's  ;  but  they 
could  not  take  away  the  fierce  glitter  of  his  eyes, 
that  gleamed  more  fiercely  than  ever  now. 

Thrym  started  back.  '  Her  eyes  seem  on  fire,' 
he  said. 

But  again  the  crafty  Loki  put  in  his  word.  '  Ah! 
she  hath  had  no  sleep  for  eight  long  nights,  so 
much  did  she  long  to  see  thee.' 

Then  again  was  the  foolish  Jotun  well  pleased, 
and  called  for  his  sister  to  come  and  greet  the  beau- 
teous princess  from  Asgard. 

And  when  she  came,  and  beheld  the  golden  rings 
and  armlets  that  Thor  wore,  she  said,  '  If  thou 
wouldst  win  my  love,  give  me  of  thy  jewels.' 

But  Thor  made  no  reply. 

Then  said  the  king  of  the  Thursi,  '  Bring  out 
Thor's  hammer ;  so  shall  we  fulfil  our  word.  A 
bride  as  fair  as  Freyia  is  well  worth  its  ransom.' 

The  heart  of  Thor  was  full  of  gladness  when 
Miolnir  was  laid  before  him.  He  could  scarcely 
keep  down  his  joy,  but  it  was  not  yet  time  to  show 
himself. 


How  Thor  recovered  his  Hammer.       1 5 

He  waited  till  Thrym  drew  near  to  take  his 
hand  in  token  of  betrothal  ;  then  up  he  sprang,  and 
brandishing  the  hammer  high  above  his  head,  he 
shouted,  '  I  am  Thor ! ' 

And  down  he  struck  the  giant  to  the  earth,  with 
so  fell  a  blow  that  Thrym  lay  dead  at  his  feet. 

Next  he  set  to  work  to  slay  all  the  giants  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  feast,  and,  this  done,  he  turned 
and  slew  the  Jotun's  sister  who  had  asked  him  for 
bridal  gifts. 

Then,  as  there  were  no  more  Thursi  to  kill,  he 
said  quietly  to  Loki,  '  Make  ready  the  chariot,  that 
we  may  return  home.' 

And  as  they  drove  along,  lo  !  everything  was 
changed :  the  mountains  shook  not,  neither  did  the 
forest  trees  tremble,  for  there  flashed  no  fire  forth 
from  the  chariot-wheels,  which  rolled  smoothly  and 
noiselessly  over  the  ground.  The  dark  clouds  fled 
away,  the  hills  burst  into  verdure,  the  earth  was 
hung  with  garlands  of  flowers,  and  the  tall  pines 
raised  their  crests  proudly,  as  though  they  would 
touch  the  heavens. 

Thor  had  won  back  his  hammer,  and  was  re- 
turning in  triumph  to  Asgard,  and  his  power  and 
glory  were  felt  throughout  heaven  and  earth. 


1 6  Wonderful  Stories. 


II. 
THE  STORY  OF  BALDER. 

BALDER'S  DREAMS. 

ODIN,  the  king  of  the  Asi,  had  many  sons.  Thor 
was  the  eldest  and  bravest,  but  Balder  was  the  best 
and  the  most  beautiful.  His  hair  was  bright  as 
the  sunshine,  his  eyes  shone  as  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  no  flower  of  earth  was  so  fair  as  his  smooth 
white  brow.  His  voice  was  sweet  as  the  murmur 
of  running  waters,  and  the  words  he  spoke  were  so 
full  of  wisdom  that  the  Asi  were  never  tired  of 
listening  to  them. 

Truth  reigned  in  his  heart,  and  no  evil  thought 
ever  found  entrance  there.  All  the  gods  loved 
Balder,  and  his  praises  sounded  throughout  Asgard. 

He  had  a  fine  palace  in  the  broad  heavens, 
called  Breidablik,  into  which  nothing  evil  might 
enter  ;  and  on  its  pillars  were  carved  Runic  rhymes 
that  had  the  power  of  giving  back  life  to  the  dead. 

Balder  had  a  wife  named  Nanna,  who  loved  him 
tenderly,  and  they  dwelt  in  all  happiness  together. 


The  Story  of  Balder.  \  7 

Quickly  the  days  flew  by  as  Balder  and  Nanna 
loitered  among  the  pleasant  groves  and  gardens, 
listening  to  the  song  of  the  birds,  and  gathering  the 
fruits  and  flowers  that  never  failed  nor  faded,  for  in 
the  country  of  the  Asi  there  was  always  summer. 

But  suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  his  happiness,  came 
to  Balder  dark  dreams,  which  filled  him  with  a 
secret  fear  that  danger  was  nigh  at  hand. 

'  What  aileth  thee  ? '  asked  Nanna,  who  saw  that 
her  husband's  step  was  not  light,  as  it  was  wont 
to  be;  that  his  voice  had  a  mournful  tone;  and  that 
his  eyes  were  full  of  sadness. 

'  Dreams  that  I  cannot  understand  come  to  me 
night  after  night/  said  Balder ;  '  I  cannot  forget 
them.' 

'  Dreams  are  idle  things,'  answered  Nanna  • 
'  Balder  should  be  wiser  than  to  care  about  them.' 

But  when  she  looked  at  Balder's  anxious  face, 
she  too  began  to  feel  frightened  ;  and  she  told  her 
fears  to  the  Asi,  and  when  they  heard  of  Balder's 
dreams,  they  also  were  afraid. 

Then  Balder  went  to  his  mother. 

He  found  her  weaving  with  her  maidens  in  one 
of  the  many  halls  of  Odin's  palace. 

'  O  mother  Friga !  is  there  aught  to  fear  in  these 
dreams  of  mine  ?'  asked  Balder. 
C 


1 8  Wonderful  Stories. 

And  Friga  listened  whilst  he  told  her  of  the  dark 
visions  that  came  to  him  night  after  night ;  but  she 
replied  not  to  his  question,  for  she  knew  that  the 
dreams  foretold  death. 

'I  will  talk  with  thy  father/  she  said.  'Now 
hasten  back  to  Nanna  and  comfort  her.  Tell  her 
that  Odin  is  all-wise,  and  will  be  able  to  turn  aside 
evil  from  thee.' 

Yet  after  Balder  had  departed,  the  queen  sat 
down  and  wept,  for  her  heart  was  very  heavy. 

Must  Balder  the  Beautiful  indeed  die  ? 

Odin  found  her  still  weeping  when  he  returned 
from  hunting.  She  was  so  full  of  grief  that  she 
did  not  hear  his  footstep,  and  when  he  lard  his 
hand  upon  her  shoulder  she  started  with  fear ;  for 
she  was  dreaming  of  death,  and  thought  that  the 
hand  of  Death  lay  already  heavy  upon  her. 

Then  she  told  Odin  of  Balder's  dreams  and 
asked,  '  O  Odin,  shall  our  son  indeed  die  ?  Can 
nothing  be  done  to  save  him  ? ' 

Odin  looked  sad  as  he  made  answer,  '  If  all 
things  were  loving  to  him  as  we  are,  then  could  no 
ill  befall  him.' 

And  Friga  said,  '  Thou  canst  command  all 
things.  Let  all  things  take  an  oath  that  they  will 


The  Story  of  Balder.  19 

not  hurt  Balder.  Let  us  go  through  the  world 
ourselves  and  see  that  this  is  done.  There  is 
nothing  that  can  withstand  the  king  and  queen  of 
heaven.' 

THE   OATH. 

The  sun  rose  upon  the  palace  of  Odin,  the  famous 
Valhalla,  whose  ceiling  was  formed  of  glittering 
spears,  roofed  in  with  golden  shields.  Over  the 
benches  of  the  great  hall  were  strewn  coats  of  mail 
of  cunning  workmanship,  while  armour  and  weapons 
of  war  were  piled  on  every  side. 

The  king  and  queen  and  all  the  Asi  were 
gathered  together. 

And  Odin  spoke :  '  O  Asi,  will  ye  swear  to  do 
no  harm  to  Balder?' 

And  the  voices  of  the  gods  sounded  like  a  burst 
of  glorious  music  as  they  answered,  '  We  swear!' 

And  Odin  spoke  again,  '  I  ask  ye,  O  spears  and 
arrows,  poisoned  barb  and  pointed  javelin,  sword, 
shield,  and  weapon  of  every  kind,  that  ye  take  an 
oath  to  do  no  harm  to  Balder.' 

And  a  fierce  clash  rang  through  the  splendid 
hall.  For  so  the  weapons  answered  back  their 
lord  and  master. 

c  2 


20  Wonderful  Stories. 

And  forth  from  the  mighty  palace,  through  the 
outer  courts,  through  the  broad  roadways,  through 
one  of  the  five  hundred  and  forty  gates  through 
each  of  which  eight  hundred  warriors  might  march 
abreast,  the  king  and  queen  went  forth  into  the 
world — alone,  and  on  foot,  for  they  went  on  an 
errand  of  love,  and  not  on  a  journey  of  state. 

First,  of  the  dazzling  sun  did  Odin  take  an  oath, 
that  neither  in  his  noon-day  heat,  nor  in  his  rising 
beams,  nor  in  his  setting  rays,  would  he  ever  do 
hurt  to  Balder. 

And  every  cruel  beast  that  prowled  for  prey, 
and  every  harmless  beast  that  roamed  the  earth, 
the  treacherous  snake  and  the  hideous  worm,  swore 
that  from  them  no  harm  should  come  to  Odin's 
son. 

And  every  bird  that  twittered  on  the  boughs, 
the  soaring  eagle  and  the  keen-eyed  hawk,  and 
every  creeping  thing,  and  every  humming  insect, 
and  every  fish  that  swam  in  shallow  rivers  swore  to 
the  king  and  queen  that  they  would  do  no  hurt  to 
Balder. 

And  every  giant  tree  of  the  forest,  and  every 
bending  bush  by  the  river-side,  every  reed  that 
sighed,  and  every  twining  plant  that  crept  over  the 


Tlte  Story  of  Balder.  21 

earth,  swore  that  no  harm  should  come  through 
them  to  Balder. 

And  every  flower  lifted  up  its  perfumed  blossoms 
as  Friga  bent  over  them,  and  softly  swore  the  oath, 
even  before  she  asked  them  ;  and  the  rich  ripe  fruit, 
that  glowed  all  yellow  and  purple  and  crimson, 
echoed  the  words  of  the  gods. 

Through  forest,  through  meadow,  through  fallow 
land,  on  they  went  to  the  shores  of  the  great  ocean ; 
and  the  waves  reared  their  crested  heads  and  roared 
back,  '  We  swear,'  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  the 
king  of  heaven. 

Up  rose  the  whale,  the  glittering  dolphin,  and 
the  shark,  and  all  the  tribe  of  fishes  and  sea- 
monsters,  and  swore  to  do  no  hurt  to  Balder. 

The  mighty  rocks  trembled  as  they  heard  the 
shout,  and  they  too  swore  to  do  him  no  harm. 

The  winds  awoke  when  Odin  called  upon  them, 
and  wailed  and  shrieked,  'We  swear,  we  swear !' 

And  the  clouds  rolled  together,  and  from  their 
midst  the  thunder  pealed,  'I  swear;'  and  the 
forked  lightning  sealed  the  oath. 

Then  Odin  and  his  wife  turned  their  steps  to- 
wards the  vast  cities  dotted  over  the  world,  and  all 
the  people  took  the  oath.  And  pale  Sickness  and 


2  2  Wonderful  Stories. 

wasting  Famine  came  forth  to  meet  the  king,  but, 
before  he  suffered  them  to  go  back  to  their  lurking- 
places,  he  had  made  them  swear  that  their  hands 
should  never  touch  the  form  of  Balder. 

Swiftly  the  king  and  queen  then  travelled  on- 
wards— swiftly,  as  only  the  gods  can  travel.  And 
the  sun  went  down  in  the  heavens,  and  the  evening 
dews  fell,  and  the  moon  and  stars  shone  out  in  the 
night  sky. 

And  from  the  rimy  dew,  and  from  the  moon  and 
stars,  did  Odin  take  an  oath,  even  from  the  night 
itself,  that  its  dark  shadows  should  never  hurt 
Balder. 

Odin  and  his  wife  were  in  the  snow-regions  now, 
and  the  great  ice-blocks  sparkled  in  the  moonlight ; 
and  ice  and  frost  and  snow  and  hail  and  thaw  swore 
faithfully  to  do  no  harm  to  Balder. 

And  still  the  king  and  queen  of  Asgard  jour- 
neyed on.  The  way  was  cold,  and  the  moon  was 
hidden  behind  the  clouds ;  but  huge  fires  were 
burning  on  either  side,  to  light  them  on  their  way. 
And  from  the  fire  that  leaped  and  twisted  and 
roared  like  a  living  creature,  did  Odin  take  an  oath 
that  neither  fire  nor  heat  should  ever  injure  Balder. 

Then  the  king  and  queen  sat  down  to  rest,  for 


The  Story  of  Balder.  23 

their  work  was  done.  All  things  had  sworn  to  do 
no  harm  to  their  son,  and  Balder  henceforth  need 
fear  no  evil. 

Everything  had  sworn  but  one  small  twig,  that 
seemed  to  Odin  and  his  wife  too  young  and  tender 
to  take  an  oath  from.  It  was  too  weak  to  hurt 
anyone. 

So  the  king  and  queen  rose  up  with  fresh 
strength,  and  went  back  to  their  own  land.  And 
Balder's  dreams  were  thought  of  no  more,  and  all 
went  well  with  him. 

Now,  since  the  oath  had  been  taken,  the  Asi 
often  amused  themselves  with  shooting  arrows  at 
Balder,  or  throwing  spears,  or  hurling  stones,  as 
he  stood  for  a  target ;  and  none  could  wound  him, 
since  wood  and  iron,  stone  and  poisoned  barb  had 
sworn  the  oath  to  do  no  harm  to  Balder. 

LOKTS   TRICK. 

But  Loki,  the  lord  of  fire,  was  very  angry  when 
he  found  that  no  harm  happened  to  the  good 
Balder. 

'  How  is  it/  he  asked,  '  that  nothing  can  hurt 
Balder?' 


24  Wonderful  Stories. 

And  answer  was  made  to  him  : 

'  All  things  have  sworn  an  oath  that  they  will  do 
no  hurt  to  Balder.' 

Then  was  Loki  still  more  wroth.  Why  should 
all  things  swear  such  an  oath  ?  Why  should  Balder 
be  safe  from  all  harm  ?  It  was  only  an  idle  story 
that  the  Asi  were  telling  him ;  he  would  not  believe 
that  it  was  true. 

And  he  determined  to  find  out  for  himself  all 
about  it  from  Friga.  Therefore  he  made  himself 
look  like  an  old  woman,  because  he  knew  that  if 
he  went  in  his  own  form  the  queen  would  not  speak 
to  him. 

And  first  he  praised  up  Balder,  and  said  ho\v 
good  and  beautiful  he  was,  and  what  a  great  thing 
it  was  that  everything  in  the  world  had  promised 
not  to  hurt  him.  He  must  be  greatly  loved  by  all. 

'  Yes,'  said  Friga,  '  the  work  was  easily  done. 
Everything  loved  Balder  and  was  willing  to  take 
the  oath.' 

'  Everything  ? '  said  Loki,  in  wonder. 

'  Everything,'  answered  the  queen,  'that  is,  every- 
thing except  one  poor  little  twig  that  grew  upon 
an  oak  planted  eastward  of  Valhalla — a  slender 


The  Story  of  Balder.  2  5 

sprout  called  mistletoe  ;  it  was  so  weak  that  it  was 
not  worth  while  to  take  an  oath  from  it.' 

'  Yes  ;  it  was  quite  useless,'  said  Loki.  And  he 
went  away, — but  not  home.  He  bent  his  steps  to 
the  oak  that  Friga  had  spoken  of,  and  there  he 
found  the  little  twig  grown  into  a  strong  bush,  with 
pliant  green  boughs  and  pearly  berries. 

Carefully  he  cut  the  plant  away,  and  carried 
it  off  to  Niflheim,  the  home  of  the  Mist,  where, 
in  a  secret  room  of  his  palace,  he  fashioned  the 
straightest  and  strongest  branch  into  a  sharp  arrow. 

He  dared  not  use  any  feathers,  for  the  feathers 
would  not  have  carried  it  against  Balder,  so  he 
split  the  fibres  as  fine  as  it  was  possible-  to  split 
them,  and  made  them  so  like  feathers  that  one 
could  scarcely  have  told  them  from  real  ones. 
And  when  it  was  done  he  made  a  present  of  it  to 
Hoder,  one  of  Balder's  brothers. 

Now  Hoder  was  blind,  and  therefore  could  not 
see  who  had  given  him  the  arrow,  or  perhaps  he 
might  have  suspected  mischief. 


26  Wonderful  Stories. 

THE  SHOOTING  MATCH. 

Outside  the  gates  of  Valhalla  there  is  a  wood 
called  Glasir.  In  this  wood  the  leaves  of  the  trees 
are  all  of  red  gold. 

Here  the  heroes  who  have  fallen  in  battle  on 
earth,  and  have  been  taken  to  Asgard,  amuse  them- 
selves with  fighting  and  slaying  each  other  afresh, 
but  they  always  come  back  to  life  at  breakfast-time. 
When  they  care  no  more  for  this  sport,  they  hunt 
the  wild  boar  Schrimner,  upon  whose  flesh  they 
feast  at  eventide ;  but  in  the  morning  they  find  him 
alive  again,  and  ready  for  another  day's  hunting. 

Here,  in  an  open  space,  were  the  gods  assembled 
for  a  shooting  match,  and  Balder  stood  ready  to 
serve  as  a  mark  for  them. 

Beautiful  he  looked,  with  folded  arms,  still  as  a 
statue.  His  fair  hair  flowed  over  his  shoulders,  and 
his  blue  eyes  were  placid  as  a  blue  lake  when  the 
wind  has  gone  down. 

Nanna,  his  wife,  was  there,  and  Friga  and  all  her 
court,  to  see  the  shooting. 

Each  tried  his  skill. 

Some  hit  Balder,  and  others  missed  the  mark ; 
but  of  those  arrows  that  struck,  none  harmed  him. 


The  Story  of  Balder.  27 

Last  came  the  blind  Hoder.  Strong  he  was, 
and  his  skill  in  shooting  was  wonderful. 

'  Welcome,  good  brother,'  cried  Balder ;  and 
Hoder  aimed  his  arrow  in  the  direction  of  the 
voice. 

Once,  twice  he  shot. 

*  Well  done  !  thou  hast  hit  the  mark/  said  Balder, 
laughing  ;  '  blind  men  have  better  eyes  than  those 
who  can  see.' 

Then  Hoder  fitted  his  third  arrow  to  the  bow. 
It  was  one  that  Loki  had  given  him. 

'Take  steady  aim,  good  Hoder,'  said  Balder,  and 
again,  guided  by  the  voice,  Hoder  drew  his  bow. 

The  arrow  whizzed  through  the  air.  It  struck 
Balder,  and,  with  a  sudden  cry,  he  fell. 

'I  die!  I  die!' 

Quickly  was  Balder  raised  up,  but  it  was  of  no 
avail.  The  light  had  gone  out  of  his  blue  eyes, 
and  his  arms  hung  powerless.  Balder  was  dead  ! 

'  Balder  is  dead  !  is  dead  ! '  echoed  through  the 
wood. 

'  Dead  !  Nay,  who  hath  broken  the  oath  ? '  cried 
Odin,  as  he  rushed  forward. 

And  Friga  followed  him,  and  leaning  over  her 
son,  strove  to  call  him  back  to  life. 


28  Wonderful  Stories. 

Nanna  held  Balder's  head  on  her  lap.  '  Hush  ! ' 
she  said,  '  he  only  sleeps,  he  is  not  dead  ;  all  things 
have  sworn  that  they  will  do  no  harm  to  Balder.' 
And  she  tenderly  drew  the  arrow  from  the  wound. 

Friga  took  it,  and,  looking  carefully,  she  saw  that 
it  was  made  of  the  wood  of  the  slender  twig  that 
grew  on  the  oak  eastward  of  Valhalla. 

Then  she  knew  at  once  that  there  had  been 
treachery.  She  remembered  the  old  woman.  '  It 
is  Loki,'  she  said,  '  who  has  done  this.' 

FRIGA'S   COUNSEL. 

Odin's  grief  was  very  terrible.  Balder  was  so 
good,  so  greatly  beloved.  What  would  the  Asi 
do  without  Balder  ? 

And  the  mourning  throughout  the  land  of 
Asgard  was  very  bitter.  It  was  as  if  the  sun  had 
set  for  ever  since  Balder  was  gone. 

At  length  Friga  roused  herself.  '  Why  should 
we  give  up  hope  ?  Perhaps  we  may  be  able  to 
win  back  Balder.  Hela  is  not  always  cruel;  it  may 
be  that  she  will  give  up  him  who  has  fallen  by 
crafty  wiles  into  her  hands.' 

But  Odin  shook  his  head.  '  Balder  is  too  fair  a 
prize  for  Death  to  give  up.' 


The  Story  of  Balder.  29 

'  At  least  we  may  try/  answered  Friga.  '  Who,' 
she  asked,  'amongst  the  Asi  is  bold  enough  to 
ride  to  Hell  and  ask  Hela  to  give  us  back  our 
beloved  Balder  ? ' 

Then  stepped  forward  Hermod,  another  of  Odin's 
sons.  '  O  mother  Friga,  I  will  ride  to  Hell,  and  see 
whether  I  may  not  win  back  our  brother  Balder.' 

'  Up,  then  !  There  is  no  time  to  lose  ;  the  journey 
is  long  and  the  path  is  rugged.  Hasten  away,  and 
we  will  perform  the  funeral  rites,  so  that  there  may 
be  no  hindrance  on  that  score.' 

Then  was  Odin's  horse  Sleipner  saddled,  and  the 
brave  Hermod  mounted  him  and  rode  away. 

Now  the  horse  Sleipner  had  eight  legs,  and  his 
speed  was  as  the  speed  of  the  wind. 

BALDER'S   FUNERAL. 

Then  the  Asi  made  all  things  ready,  that 
the  body  of  Balder  should  receive  due  honours ; 
and  they  gave  command  that  it  should  be  carried 
on  board  his  own  ship  Ringhorne,  and  that  then 
the  funeral  pile  should  be  raised. 

The  good  ship  Ringhorne  lay  upon  the  beach, 
fast  driven  on  the  sand ;  and  when  the  Asi  strove 
to  move  her,  not  an  inch  could  she  be  stirred. 


30  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  It  needs  a  giant  to  do  this,'  said  the  Asi. 
And  they  sent  to  Jotunheim. 

Soon  came  the  giantess  Hyrrocken,  riding  upon 
an  enormous  wolf;  her  reins  were  vipers,  and  she 
brought  four  berserks  to  hold  the  wolf  when  she 
alighted. 

She  went  straight  to  the  shore,  and  going  to  the 
prow  of  the  vessel,  gave  it  one  push. 

Straightway  from  the  rollers  on  which  it  was 
raised,  fire  shot  forth,  the  earth  shook,  and  the  ship 
glided  into  the  water. 

Thor  was  wroth  at  this,  for  it  seemed  too  much 
like  his  own  power  over  the  lightning,  and  he 
would  have  killed  the  giantess  had  not  the  other 
gods  besought  him  for  her. 

The  funeral  train  was  a  very  long  one :  Odin, 
with  his  ravens  Huginn  and  Muninn;  Friga  and 
the  Valkyries,  the  goddesses  of  slaughter,  who 
waited  on  Odin,  each  with  her  glittering  spear  and 
proud  unmoved  countenance ;  Frey,  in  a  chariot 
drawn  by  Gullinborst,  the  golden-haired  boar 
that  drew  the  sun-god's  chariot  round  the  world ; 
Heimdaller,  on  the  horse  Guldtopp;  and  all  the 
Asi  in  their  brightest  array.  The  one-eyed 
Hrimthursi  were  there,  and  the  mountain-giants 


The  Story  of  Balder.  31 

had  come  from  their  barren  homes,  for  Balder  was 
loved  by  every  one  far  and  near. 

Upon  the  funeral  pile  was  placed  the  favourite 
horse  of  Balder  and  his  riding  gear. 

At  the  last  the  body  of  the  beautiful  god  was 
laid  there  also,  and  Odin  took  a  torch  and  lighted 
the  pile.  The  flames  sprang  quickly  up,  and  into 
the  flames  he  cast  Balder's  ring,  Dropner. 

Higher,  higher  flashed  the  fire.  Soon  would  the 
body  of  Balder  be  quite  burnt  up. 

Wild  was  the  mourning  of  the  Asi;  and  they 
bowed  their  heads  and  cried,  'Woe!  woe!  for 
Balder  the  Beautiful  is  snatched  from  life.  Cruel 
Death  holds  him  in  her  cold  arms.  Woe  !  woe ! 
for  there  is  none  among  the  Asi  like  unto  Balder 
the  Fair ! ' 

As  for  poor  Nanna,  the  wife  of  Balder,  she  had 
died  of  grief. 

HERMOD'S  RIDE. 

Now  when  the  brave  Hermod  mounted  Sleipner, 
he  let  the  reins  hang  loose,  so  that  the  swift  steed 
might  feel  no  curb.  And  on  and  on,  faster  than 
the  flight  of  the  swiftest  eagle,  he  galloped  along. 


32  WonderfitlStories. 

Nothing  stayed  him.  Over  hill,  through  valley, 
lake,  and  river,  the  horse  Sleipner  dashed  without 
once  stopping. 

Then  the  skies  grew  darker,  but  it  was  not  the 
darkness  of  night.  He  was  drawing  nigh  to  the 
regions  of  Hela,  the  regions  trodden  only  by  the 
dead.  Nine  days  and  nine  nights  he  rode  through 
deep  dark  valleys,  so  dark  that  he  could  not  see 
where  he  was  going. 

'  On,  Sleipner,  on  ! ' 

And  Sleipner  paused  not,  but  thundered  through 
the  deep  valleys,  whose  silence  was  broken  only  by 
the  sound  of  the  horse's  hoofs. 

'  On,  Sleipner,  on  ! ' 

Darker  grew  the  valley,  blacker  than  midnight ; 
on  galloped  the  horse  and  the  rider — a  flash  of 
lightning  across  the  valley  of  thunder. 

'Whither,  O  Sleipner,  whither  dost  thou  bear 
me?' 

There  is  a  dark  river  whose  waters  are  blacker 
than  pitch  and  almost  as  thick.  Across  it  is 
thrown  a  bridge  overlaid  with  gold.  It  is  the  bridge 
Gyall,  and  none  but  the  dead  pass  over  it. 

Out  came  Modgunn,  the  maiden  who  keeps 
the  bridge. 


The  Story  of  Balder.  33 

'  What  is  thy  name  ? '  she  asked. 

'  Hermod,  the  son  of  Odin.' 

'  Five  companies  of  dead  men  have  crossed  the 
bridge/  she  said,  '  but  it  rang  under  no  step  but 
thine.  Thou  hast  the  look  of  the  living,  not  of  the 
dead  ;  wherefore  dost  thou  follow  in  their  path  ? ' 

'  I  ride  to  Hell  to  seek  for  Balder.  Tell  me, 
hast  thou  seen  him  ? ' 

'  Yea,  he  hath  passed  the  bridge.  Over  the 
bridge  Gyall  he  came.  If  thou  wouldst  follow  him, 
take  the  road  northward  ;  that  leads  to  Hell.' 

On  galloped  Hermod. 

And  long  did  Modgunn  hear  the  clattering  of 
Sleipner's  hoofs  in  the  distance.  Darker  and 
harder  became  the  path ;  but  Sleipner  thundered 
on.  Nine  days  and  nine  nights  had  he  galloped 
without  resting,  yet  neither  rider  nor  horse  was 
weary. 

At  length  they  reached  the  fence  that  surrounds 
the  palace  of  Hela.  But  there  was  no  entrance  for 
the  living. 

And  Hermod  saw  that  the  fence  was  high,  and 
that  every  gate  was  locked  and  barred,  and  the  air 
was  so  heavy  that  he  could  not  raise  his  voice  loud 
enough  to  make  anyone  hear. 
D 


34  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  On,  Sleipner,  on  ! ' 

And  Sleipner  pricked  up  his  ears  and  with  one 
bound  cleared  the  fence,  and  Hermod  was  at  the 
door  of  Hela's  palace. 

HELA'S   DECREE. 

Hermod  found  the  palace  door  open,  and  he 
walked  in  and  wandered  through  many  rooms  and 
passages  until  he  came  to  the  great  hall,  where  he 
found  Balder  in  a  place  of  honour. 

There  too  he  found  Hela,  and  he  told  Hela  how 
the   gods   grieved    for   the   death   of  Balder,  and 
besought. her  to  let  Balder  go  back  to  Asgard. 
'  The  king  offers  anything  he  has  for  a  ransom.' 
'  Nought   that   the   king   has  would  be  of  any 
worth  to  me,'  said  Hela ;  '  what  are  the  treasures 
of  the  living  to  the  dead  ?     I  covet  nothing   that 
Odin  owns.' 

But  Hermod  was  not  daunted,  and  he  still 
besought  Hela  to  find  a  way  for  Balder  to  return 
to  life. 

Then  Hela  thought  for  awhile,  and  after  deep 
pondering,  she  said  :  '  I  have  heard  that  Balder 
is  greatly  beloved.  If  he  is  so  beloved  that 
everything  in  the  world  weeps  for  him,  then  may 


The  Story  of  Balder.  35 

he  go  back  to  Asgard ;  but  if  one  single  thing 
refuses  to  weep  for  him,  then  must  he  remain  with 
me  for  ever." 

Then  Balder  came  near  and  said :  '  I  give  thee 
my  thanks,  O  Hermod,  that  for  my  sake  thou  hast 
ridden  on  this  perilous  journey.  If  I  should  not 
come  back,  tell  Odin  to  keep  the  ring  Dropner  in 
memory  of  me,  and  tell  Hoder  not  to  grieve,  since 
my  death  was  no  fault  of  his.' 

Then  he  gave  the  ring  Dropner  to  Hermod,  and 
the  ring  had  a  strange  power,  for  every  ninth  night 
it  brought  forth  eight  rings  like  itself,  because  it 
had  passed  through  the  fire  on  Balder's  funeral 
pile. 

Nanna  too  came  near  and  sent  gifts  to  Friga, 
and  a  gold  ring  to  Fulla,  the  queen's  handmaiden. 

And  Hermod  remounted  Sleipner,  and  rode 
away  from  Hell. 

WHO  WILL  WEEP  FOR  BALDER? 

The  Asi  listened  day  after  day  for  the  sound  of 
Sleipner's  hoofs. 

Day  after  day  Friga  went  up  to  the  topmost 
tower  of  the  palace,  but  Hermod  was  not  in  sight. 

D  2 


36  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  Heimdall,  Heimdall !  canst  thou  not  yet  hear 
him  ? '  she  asked.  For  Heimdall's  ears  were  sharper 
than  those  of  the  other  Asi,  so  sharp  that  he 
could  hear  the  wool  growing  on  the  backs  of  the 
sheep,  and  the  tender  blades  of  grass  springing 
up  in  the  meadows.  But  Heimdall  could  hear 
only  what  was  going  on  in  the  upper  world,  his 
hearing  could  not  pierce  the  regions  of  Hela. 

At  last  Heimdall  spoke  :  '  Hermod  has  reached 
the  upper  world  ;  I  hear  the  hoofs  of  Sleipner 
strike  the  ground.' 

Then  Friga  took  her  station  upon  the  watch- 
tower,  so  that  she  might  catch  the  first  glimpse  of 
the  rider.  Perchance  he  might  bring  her  beloved 
Balder  back  with  him. 

'  Is  he  very  far  off,  Heimdall  ? ' 

'  Three  thousand  leagues  away ;  yet  never  fear, 
Sleipner  runs  like  the  wind,  and  he  will  soon  be 
here.' 

Friga  waited  a  little,  then  again  she  looked  forth. 

'I  see  a  speck,  a  tiny  speck.  Can  it  be 
Hermod?' 

Then  Heimdall  looked  forth  and  listened  eagerly. 
'  It  is  Hermod  ! ' 

'  Is  he  alone  ? ' 


The  Story  of  Balder.  37 

'  He  is  alone.  But  one  rider  touches  the  panting 
sides  of  Sleipner.' 

Then  the  queen  wrung  her  hands,  and  went 
down  into  the  great  hall  to  await  with  the  king  and 
the  Asi  the  coming  of  Hermod. 

Through  the  wide  gates,  and  up  the  stately  ave- 
nue, the  rider  came.  He  scarcely  waited  for  his 
steed  to  stop  before  he  sprang  from  the  saddle. 
He  dashed  up  the  broad  steps  into  the  palace,  and 
there  was  a  great  cry :  '  What  news,  O  Hermod  ? ' 

Then  Hermod  told  how  Hela  had  decreed  that 
if  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth  should  weep  for 
Balder,  then  might  he  come  back  to  Asgard. 

Then  Friga  took  courage  again,  for  she  knew  how 
much  Balder  was  beloved. 

And  the  bidding  went  forth,  '  Let  everything 
weep  for  Balder.' 

And  all  around  were  sighs  and  lamentations. 
There  was  not  a  dry  eye  among  the  Asi;  the 
tears  rolled  down  to  the  beard  of  Odin,  and  even 
Thor  wept.  Hoder  had  never  ceased  to  weep, 
and  all  things  wept,  showing  the  sorrow  of  the 
gods. 

The  clouds  burst  into  gentle  showers,  the  earth 
was  bathed  in  dew,  the  air  was  dimmed  by  the  veil 


3  8  Wonder fu  I  Stories. 

that  the  dewdrops  threw  over  it,  and  the  moon  and 
the  stars  grew  pale  from  sorrow. 

And  beasts,  and  birds,  and  trees,  and  flowers,  all 
mourned,  there  was  nothing  in  heaven  and  earth 
that  wept  not. 

'  Surely  he  may  come  back,'  said  Friga,  '  for  all 
have  wept  for  Balder.' 

'All?' 

Then  came  a  messenger  who  had  been  sent  forth 
to  see  if  there  was  anyone  who  did  not  weep.  His 
face  was  pale  and  grave,  and  he  looked  as  one  who 
bore  heavy  tidings. 

The  queen  approached  him  anxiously. 

And  thus  spake  the  messenger,  '  There  is  a 
giantess  named  Thock.  She  doth  not  weep  for 
Balder's  death.  She  sits  and  mutters,  "  Neither  in 
life  nor  yet  in  death,  did  Balder  give  me  gladness. 
Let  Hela  keep  her  prey." ' 

Then  Friga  threw  herself  on  the  ground,  and 
wept,  for  she  knew  that  Balder  would  never  come 
back  to  Asgard. 

And  Odin  also  knew  that  hope  was  at  an  end. 
Moreover,  he  believed  that  the  giantess  Thock  was 
none  other  than  the  evil  envious  Loki. 


7  he  Story  of  Balder.  39 

THE   RETURN  OF   BALDER. 

But  not  for  ever  will  Friga  weep  for  Balder,  not 
for  ever  will  Odin  mourn  his  son,  not  for  ever  will 
Hela  keep  her  prey,  for  the  day  is  at  hand,  nay  is 
even  now  come,  when  the  gates  of  her  dreary 
kingdom  shall  be  unlocked,  and  she  shall  no  longer 
hide  in  darkness  those  who  are  born  to  light. 

A  gentle  breeze  is  blowing  over  a  country  more 
beautiful  even  than  Asgard,  a  new  sun  is  shining. 
The  corn  is  springing  from  unsown  fields,  the  flowers 
are  bursting  into  blossom  on  every  side ;  laughter 
and  joy  and  sweetest  strains  of  music  resound 
over  the  plains  of  Ida,  and  there  rises  a  glorious 
palace,  the  palace  of  Gimli,  more  splendid  even  than 
Valhalla.  There  the  Asi  have  assembled  in  peace 
once  more,  for  the  dark  days  of  Ragnarok  have 
passed  away,  and  Surtur  has  purified  the  world 
with  fire. 

A  train  moves  slowly  over  the  plain,  and  at  its 
head  are  seen  two  who  move  like  kings—  Balder 
the  Beautiful  and  his  brother  Hoder  whom  Vali  the 
avenger  slew.  Him  Balder  had  welcomed  to  the 
dreary  home  of  Hela  and  soothed  his  grief  and 
bid  him  not  despair,  for  he  had  learned  the  won- 


4o  Wonder/id  Stories. 

drous  runes  that  told  how  Hela  should  in  time 
set  all  her  prisoners  free. 

And  so  the  brothers  waited  and  hoped  for  the 
day  of  freedom,  and  the  scales  fell  from  Hoder's 
eyes,  and  he  was  no  more  blind.  He  looked  upon 
Balder,  and  the  two  loved  one  another  better  even 
than  in  the  olden  days,  for  sorrow  and  captivity 
bound  them  closer  together. 

Over  the  plains  of  Ida  moves  the  train.  Nanna 
is  there,  and  many  a  long-imprisoned  one ;  and  as 
it  advances  the  Asi  standing  around  the  throne  of 
Odin  send  forth  a  shout  that  rends  the  air:  'All 
hail !  all  hail !  Hail  Balder  the  Beautiful ! ' 

And  Friga  clasps  her  long-lost  Balder  in  her 
arms,  and  all  her  grief  is  swept  away  in  that 
ecstasy  of  joy. 

Joy  for  ever  and  ever ;  for  nevermore  can  harm 
happen  to  Balder.  He  will  dwell  with  those  he 
loves  for  ever  in  the  halls  of  Gimli.  And  Friga  has 
ceased  to  weep,  for  she  has  regained  her  long-lost 
son. 


The  Story  of  Volund.  4 1 


III. 

THE  STORY  OF   VOLUND. 

THERE  \v&s  once  a  king  of  Finnland  who  had 
three  sons,  all  eager  lovers  of  hunting.  The  two 
elder  were  named  Slagfin  and  Egil,  the  youngest 
was  called  Volund. 

But  Volund  not  only  loved  hunting  like  his 
brothers  ;  he  had  a  power  which  his  brothers  did 
not  possess.  He  was  a  wonderful  craftsman  at  the 
forge,  and  could  make  arrow-heads,  spears,  and 
weapons  of  all  kinds.  Moreover,  he  could  model 
shields  with  rare  chasing,  and  sometimes  would 
fashion  chains  and  armlets  of  fine  gold  that  the 
daintiest  queen  might  be  proud  to  wear. 

So  well  he  loved  his  work  that  he  spent  more 
than  half  his  time  at  the  forge,  and  never  gave  it 
up  but  for  a  day's  hunting  with  his  brothers.  And 
more  than  once  he  even  gave  up  the  chase,  for 
though  he  loved  hunting  well,  he  loved  his  anvil 
better.  And  his  workshop  was  quite  a  sight  to  see 


42  Wonderful  Sturies. 

with  all  the  wonderful  things  that  he   had   made 
hanging  round. 

At  last  Slagfin  said  to  Egil,  '  Volund  spends  too 
much  of  his  time  at  the  forge,  it  is  not  work  be- 
fitting a  king's  son.  He  will  lose  all  interest  in  the 
chase,  unless  something  is  done  to  rouse  him.' 

And  Egil  replied :  '  Thou  hast  spoken  well,  my 
brother,  and  a  thought  has  come  into  my  mind 
I  am  growing  tired  of  the  hunting  grounds  near 
home ;  the  sport  is  not  so  good  as  it  used  to  be. 
But  far  away  in  Ulfdal,  on  the  shores  of  Ulf  lake, 
is  a  mighty  forest.  There  we  may  chase  the  wolf 
and  the  wild  boar,  and  in  the  lake  we  may  catch 
more  fish  than  we  shall  know  what  to  do  with. 
Let  us  go  thither  and  take  Volund  with  us.  Then 
will  he  forget  his  forge  and  his  bellows,  and  live  as 
a  king's  son  ought  to  live.' 

The  idea  pleased  Slagfin  greatly,  and  away  he 
went  to  Volund  to  propose  the  plan. 

He  found  Volund  at  work  upon  slender  spears 
of  a  new  pattern.  '  Ha  ! '  he  said,  as  he  took  one 
of  them  up  to  look  at, '  we  could  make  good  use  of 
this  at  Ulfdal.  What  do  you  say  to  going  there 
with  Egil  and  myself?  We  might  build  a  hut  on 
the  borders  of  the  lake,  and  live  upon  the  game  we 


T/ie  Story  of  Volund.  43 

kill.  You  have  been  toiling  at  your  forge  too  long, 
the  change  will  do  you  good.' 

'  I  must  finish  this  spear  first,'  returned  Volund, 
'  it  is  the  best  of  the  lot,  and  though  it  is  so  light,  it 
is  so  strong  that  nothing  can  blunt  its  point  or 
break  it  in  twain.' 

'  Work  away,  then,'  said  Slagfin,  '  but  be  ready 
to  start  with  Egil  and  myself  by  to-morrow's  dawn. 
You  must  bring  your  choicest  weapons  with  you, 
for  we  expect  rare  sport.' 

'  Take  any  you  please,'  answered  Volund,  '  for  I 
have  no  time  to  choose  for  you.  The  spear  I  am 
working  upon  will  suffice  for  me,  I  shall  want  no 
other  weapon.' 

Then  Slagfin  chose  out  arrows,  and  sharp  spears, 
and  hooks,  and  strong  chains,  long  nails  and  a 
heavy  hammer. 

'  We  must  build  for  ourselves,'  he  said,  '  for  no 
man  dwells  on  the  borders  of  Ulf  lake.' 

'  So  much  the  better,'  responded  Volund ;  '  I  like 
the  sound  of  my  hammer,  and  the  song  of  the  birds, 
better  than  the  voices  of  men.' 

And  Slagfin  went  away  well  pleased  that  Volund 
was  willing  to  go  to  Ulfdal.  And  early  in  the 
morning,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising  over  the  low 


44  Wonderful  Stories. 

hills,  the  three  brothers  were  seen  loaded  with  their 
hunting  gear,  starting  off  for  the  wild  forest  that 
bordered  the  lake. 

Volund  was  strong"  and  mighty  of  limb ;  he  had 
muscles  almost  as  strong  as  those  of  Thor,  his 
eyes  were  dark,  and  his  black  hair  curled  crisply 
round  his  brow.  He  was  not  so  handsome  as  his 
fair-headed  brothers,  but  he  was  taller  and  more 
like  a  king,  and  everyone  said  as  he  passed  along, 
'  There  is  no  one  in  Finnland  to  equal  Volund.' 

Further  and  further  they  left  the  city  behind, 
wilder  grew  the  country  and  the  sun  shone  high 
above  them. 

'  Shall  we  not  rest  ? '  asked  Egil  ;  '  we  have 
journeyed  many  a  mile  and  my  limbs  are  weary ; 
besides,  it  will  be  pleasanter  travelling  when  the 
sun  goes  down.' 

Then  Volund  smiled  :  '  If  you  were  accustomed 
as  I  am  to  the  heat  of  the  forge,  you  would  not 
mind  the  sun's  rays.  Nevertheless,  let  it  be  as  you 
please/  he  added  throwing  himself  down  at  the 
foot  of  a  tall  pine  tree;  'there  is  no  hurry  for 
getting  to  Ulfdal,  the  game  will  not  chide  our 
loitering,  since  it  will  give  them  longer  life  in  the 
forest.' 


The  Story  of  Vb'lund.  45 

So  the  three  brothers  rested  and  after  awhile  set 
out  again  on  their  march.  There  remained  yet 
three  days'  journey  to  Ulfdal.  But  at  length  they 
reached  it,  and  were  repaid  for  their  toil  when  they 
saw  the  tall  pines  shoot  up  their  branches  high 
into  the  air,  and  heard  the  low  growl  of  the  wolf 
not  far  off,  and  beheld  the  blue  lake  stretching  out 
like  a  quiet  sea  with  the  wild  swan  sailing  on  its 
glassy  waters  and  the  water-fowl  rustling  among 
the  reeds  and  rushes. 

'  This  is  a  pleasant  place,'  quoth  Slagfin. 

Then  the  brothers  heaped  together  a  pile  of 
boughs  and  brushwood  and  made  themselves  a  fire. 
And  Egil  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bow  and  shot  the 
sea-fowl  as  they  lazily  fluttered  by,  whilst  Slagfin 
cast  a  net  into  the  lake  and  hauled  up  a  plentiful 
supply  of  fish. 

Meanwhile  the  strong  Volund  had  cut  down 
several  pines  and  built  up  a  hut  so  quickly  that 
Slagfin  and  Egil  thought  it  had  been  done  by  magic. 

It  was  but  a  rude  hovel  for  the  sons  of  a  king, 
but  what  did  the  princes  care  ?  The  summer  sun 
shone  brightly  and  the  nights  were  warm,  and 
besides  they  loved  hunting  well  enough  to  care 
little  for  all  discomforts. 


46  Wonderful  Stories. 

They  spent  their  time  in  the  forest,  and  many  a 
wolf-skin  would  they  have  to  carry  back  to  Finn- 
land.  Many  a  wild  boar  fell  under  the  spear  of 
Volund,  and  there  was  great  slaughter  among  the 
water-fowl  and  the  wild-deer. 

Day  after  day  went  by,  and  Volund  rejoiced  so 
much  in  the  great  free  forest  that  Slagfin  and  Egil 
hoped  that  he  had  forgotten  his  forge. 

One  morning  when  they  went  forth  from  the  hut 
they  marvelled  at  hearing  voices  in  the  distance  ; 
and  not  the  voices  of  men,  but  low  sweet  tones  and 
gentle  laughter,  such  as  they  were  accustomed  to 
hear  from  the  queen's  ladies  at  court. 

And  lo,  close  by  the  water's  edge  there  sat  three 
fair  maidens  spinning  flax.  And  as  they  span  they 
sang  a  song  that  even  to  Volund  sounded  sweeter 
than  the  notes  of  the  forest  birds. 

The  brothers  drew  nearer,  and  never  had  they 
seen  faces  so  fair  as  those  of  the  three  maidens, 
who  were  so  busily  engaged  in  their  task  that  they 
did  not  see  Volund  and  his  brothers  until  they 
were  close  to  them. 

When  however  they  did  see  them,  they  seemed 
in  no  whit  abashed,  but  began  to  talk  to  them,  and 
to  tell  them  how  they  too  had  heard  of  the  quiet 


The  Story  of  Volund.  47 

Ulf  lake  and  had  determined  to  leave  their  own 
country  and  abide  on  the  outskirts  of  the  wild 
forest. 

'  So  we  put  on  our  swan-coats  and  flew  away/ 
said  the  maidens,  '  and  the  king,  our  father,  knows 
not  what  has  become  of  us.' 

When  Slagfin  heard  that  the  damsels  were  king's 
daughters  he  was  very  glad,  for  he  had  already 
fallen  in  love  with  one  of  them. 

So  also  had  Egil,  and  so  even  had  Volund,  and 
by  good  luck  each  had  chosen  a  different  princess. 
There  was  no  need  of  quarrelling  in  the  matter, 
and  it  was  soon  arranged  that  the  three  princes 
should  marry  the  three  princesses  and  that  they 
should  all  remain  in  Ulfdal  together. 

For  a  long  time  everything  went  on  well,  and 
they  were  all  very  happy,  and  Volund  and  his 
brothers  would  have  been  content  to  live  for  ever 
in  the  forest  with  their  beautiful  wives.  They 
went  out  hunting  together,  and  Volund  had  built 
up  a  forge  and  he  made  all  sorts  of  ornaments  for 
his  wife  and  her  sisters. 

But  it  happened  that  the  sisters  grew  tired  of 
the  life  they  were  leading.  Though  Volund  and 
his  brothers  did  not  know  it,  their  wives  were 


48  Wonderful  Stories. 

Valkyries,  who  loved  war  better  than  anything 
else,  and  so  they  became  weary  of  the  pleasures  of 
hunting  and  longed  to  go  to  battle  again.  And 
one  day  when  their  husbands  were  absent  they  put 
on  their  swan-coats  and  flew  away. 

When  the  brothers  came  back  and  found  that 
their  wives  had  left  them  they  were  in  great  trouble, 
and  Slagfin  and  Egil  determined  to  stay  no  longer 
in  Ulfdal,  but  to  seek  through  the  world  for  their 
lost  princesses.  But  Volund  resolved  to  stay  where 
he  was,  hoping  that  perchance  his  wife  might  come 
back  to  him  ;  and  he  continued  to  make  armlets 
and  necklaces  and  delicate  chains  to  please  her 
when  she  should  return.  But  alas !  she  never  came 
back. 

And  after  a  time  it  came  to  pass  that  Nidad, 
King  of  Sweden,  heard  tell  of  Volund  and  how  he 
could  make  all  sorts  of  armour  and  weapons  and 
trinkets.  And  Nidad  sent  a  band  of  armed  men 
to  Ulfdal,  who  took  Volund  and  brought  him  to 
Sweden. 

There  he  was  obliged  to  work  at  the  forge  for 
the  King's  pleasure,  and  to  make  swords  of  sharp- 
ness and  shoes  of  swiftness,  and  other  marvels  for 


The  Story  of  Vb'lund.  49 

the  king  and  his  people.  And  Volund  was  very 
angry  and  several  times  sought  to  escape. 

Then  the  queen  counselled  Nidad  to  cut  the 
sinews  of  Volund's  legs,  so  that  he  should  be 
unable  to  walk  and  might  remain  with  them 
always. 

And  when  this  was  done  Volund  was  put  on  the 
island  of  Sjoa-stad,  where  he  was  obliged  to  work 
day  and  night  with  scarcely  any  rest. 

Volund  was  very  wroth  at  being  thus  cruelly 
treated,  and  determined  upon  revenging  himself; 
but  it  was  a  long  time  before  he  was  able  to  do  so. 
He  was  lame  and  could  not  move  about,  and  he 
grew  very  weary  and  began  to  languish.  At  last 
two  of  the  king's  sons  came  to  him,  and  with 
bitter  taunts  bade  him  make  two  swords,  sharper 
than  any  he  had  yet  made ;  and  Volund's  wrath 
was  roused  yet  more,  and  he  rose  up  and  slew 
the  two  young  men,  and  of  their  skulls  he  made 
drinking  cups  which  he  sent  to  the  king,  and  of 
their  teeth  a  breast  jewel  for  the  queen.  And 
the  king  and  queen  admired  them  greatly,  little 
knowing  how  they  had  been  made. 

Soon  the  king's  sons  were  missed,  and  search 
was  made  for  them,  but  they  were  not  to  be  found. 
E 


50  Wonderful  Stories. 

Long  mourned  the  king  and  the  queen;  but 
Volund  kept  his  secret,  and  worked  on  at  the 
forge. 

One  fine  morning  when  he  was  toiling  at  a 
shield  which  the  king  had  bidden  him  make,  the 
king's  only  daughter  came  to  ask  him  to  make  a 
ring  and  a  chain  of  gold  for  her. 

She  was  very  fair,  fairer  even  than  his  Valkyrie 
wife,  and  she  spoke  in  a  gentle  tone  to  Volund, 
for  she  felt  the  more  sorry  that  he  had  to  work  so 
hard,  because  she  knew  he  was  the  son  of  a  king. 

And  Volund  gazed  eagerly  upon  her,  and  her 
soft  voice  was  like  music  to  his  heart.  He  pro- 
mised to  make  a  ring  and  a  chain  of  gold  more 
beautiful  than  any  she  had  ever  seen,  and  the 
princess  went  away  well  pleased,  promising  to  come 
for  them  in  two  days. 

The  two  days  seemed  very  long  to  the  princess, 
for  she  was  eager  to  see  what  her  ring  would  be 
like,  and  she  wanted  to  see  Volund  again,  for  she 
pitied  him  greatly. 

To  Volund  the  time  went  more  quickly,  for  he 
had  work  to  do,  and  the  chain  and  the  ring  were 
only  just  made  when  the  princess  came  for  them. 

She  was  delighted  when  she  saw  them,  for  never 


The  Story  of  Vb'lund.  5  r 

had     anything    been    so    delicately    wrought    in 
Sweden. 

And  Volund  threw  the  chain  around  her  neck, 
and  gently  put  the  ring  on  her  finger,  and  then  he 
sighed. 

'  Why  do  you  sigh  ? '  asked  the  princess. 

'  For  my  sorrows,'  replied  Volund. 

'  Ah,  you  wish  to  go  back  to  your  own  land,' 
said  the  princess  ;  '  I  do  not  wonder  at  it,  for  it  is 
sad  to  be  a  captive.' 

'  Until  two  days  since  I  wished  to  return/ 
answered  Volund,  '  but  not  now — unless,  indeed,' 
he  added,  'you  would  go  with  me  and  be  Queen  of 
Finnland.' 

The  princess  made  no  answer,  but  Volund  knew 
that  she  was  not  angry,  for  there  was  a  smile  upon 
her  lips. 

And  after  she  was  gone,  Volund  began  to  work 
away  at  something  that  he  had  not  thought  of 
before,  and  that  was  not  in  the  way  of  his  trade. 
He  made  two  coats  of  feathers,  so  light  that  they 
would  rise  into  the  air  of  themselves ;  and  the 
next  time  that  the  princess  came  he  asked  again 
if  she  would  fly  away  with  him  and  be  Queen  of 
Finnland. 

E  2 


52  Wonderful  Stories. 

Still  the  princess  made  no  answer,  but  she  took 
a  ring  from  her  hand  and  gave  it  to  Volund  and 
then  went  away,  and  Volund  knew  that  before 
long  he  should  fly  home  to  his  own  country. 

Again  came  the  princess  and  again  Volund 
asked  her  if  she  would  fly  away  with  him  and  be 
Queen  of  Finnland. 

And  the  princess  took  up  one  of  the  feather 
coats,  and  without  saying  a  word  drew  it  over  her 
dress.  Then  Volund  put  on  the  other  coat  and 
they  rose  up  high  into  the  air. 

King  Nidad  and  his  queen  were  sitting  on  the 
terrace  in  front  of  the  palace  when  Volund  and  the 
beautiful  princess  floated  by. 

The  king  shouted  loudly,  '  Ah,  traitor !  thou  art 
carrying  away  my  daughter.  Out,  archers,  out 
and  shoot  him.' 

And  Volund  answered  :  '  I  have  revenged  myself 
for  thy  cruelty  to  me.  Thy  sons  have  I  slain,  and 
from  their  skulls  hast  thou  drunk  the  sparkling 
wine,  and  the  queen  wears  their  teeth  in  her  shining 
breast  jewel.  And  now  do  I  take  thy  daughter 
from  thee,  since  she  loves  me  better  than  she  loves 
thee.' 

Then     higher,    higher,    rose    Volund    and    the 


The  Story  of  Vohind.  53 

princess  into  the  air,  and  soon  they  were  out  of 
sight. 

There  were  great  rejoicings  in  Finnland  when 
Volund  alighted  at  the  palace,  for  the  old  king  was 
dead,  and  Slagfin  and  Egil  had  not  yet  come  home 
from  searching  after  their  wives,  and  the  people 
had  no  one  to  reign  over  them. 

So  Volund  reigned  over  Finnland,  and  ruled  his 
people  wisely  and  well.  Nevertheless  he  loved  his 
forge  better  than  ruling,  and  all  his  spare  time  he 
worked  away  at  his  smithy,  and  may  be  working 
there  yet  if  one  could  only  tell  where  to  find  him. 


54  Wonderful  Stories. 


IV. 

THORS  ADVENTURES  AMONG   THE 
JOTUNS. 

ONCE  upon  a  time  Thor  set  out  upon  his  travels, 
taking  Loki  with  him,  for  despite  Loki's  spirit  of 
mischief  he  often  aided  Thor,  who  doubtless,  in  the 
present  expedition,  felt  that  Loki  might  be  of  use 
to  him. 

So  they  set  off  together  in  Thor's  chariot  drawn 
by  the  two  strong  he-goats,  and  as  night  drew 
nigh,  stopped  at  the  hut  of  a  peasant,  where  they 
asked  food  and  shelter. 

*  Food  I  have  none  to  give  you,'  said  the  peasant, 
'  I  am  a  poor  man  and  not  able  even  to  give  supper 
to  my  children,  but  if  you  like  to  rest  under  my 
roof  you  are  welcome  to  do  so.' 

'  Never  mind  the  food,  I  can  manage  that,'  said 
Thor,  dismounting  from  the  chariot  and  entering 
the  hut 

It  was  a  poor  place,  and  not  at  all  fitted  to  receive 
one  of  the  Asi,  but  Thor  was  glad  enough  to  meet 
with  it,  wretched  as  it  was. 


TJwr  among  the  J'otuns.  55 

'  You  can  kill  the  goats,'  said  he,  '  they  will  make 
us  an  excellent  rneal.' 

The  peasant  could  not  help  thinking  that  it  was 
a  pity  to  kill  two  such  fine  animals ;  but  wisely 
thinking  that  this  was  no  affair  of  his,  and  that  the 
stranger  had  a  right  to  do  as  he  pleased  with  his 
own,  he  set  himself  to  obey  Thor's  orders,  and 
with  the  help  of  his  daughter  Raska  soon  spread 
a  savoury  repast  before  the  hungry  god  and  his 
attendant. 

*  Sit  down  all  of  you,'  said  Thor,  '  there  is  enough 
and  to  spare.' 

So  they  all  sat  down,  and  the  peasant  and  his 
children  shared  a  more  plentiful  meal  than  had 
fallen  to  their  lot  lately.  Thor  and  Loki  also 
did  ample  justice  to  the  food,  and  when  supper 
was  over  the  thunder-god  bade  the  peasant  gather 
the  bones  and  place  them  in  the  goatskins,  and 
making  them  into  a  bundle  he  left  them  on  the 
floor  until  the  next  morning. 

When  the  morning  came  and  the  early  sun 
shone  in  through  the  crevices,  Thor  raised  his 
hammer  and  instead  of  the  bundle  of  bones  the 
peasant  and  his  son  and  daughter  saw  the  two 
goats  standing  as  fresh  and  lively  as  if  nothing  had 


56  Wonder  fid  Stories. 

happened  to  them,  saving  that  one  of  them  halted 
a  little  in  his  walk. 

When  they  sought  to  learn  why  this  should  be, 
it  was  found  that  Thialfe,  the  boy,  in  getting  the 
marrow  out  of  one  of  the  bones,  had  broken  it,  and 
it  was  this  that  caused  the  goat  to  go  lame. 

Thor  was  very  angry,  and  was  very  near  killing 
not  only  Thialfe  but  also  the  peasant  and  his 
daughter  Raska,  but  they  begged  so  hard  for  their 
lives  that  he  consented  to  spare  them  on  condition 
that  the  boy  and  girl  should  follow  him  hi  his 
travels. 

To  this  they  agreed,  and  Thor,  leaving  the  chariot 
and  goats  in  the  peasant's  care,  went  on  his  journey, 
giving  Thialfe,  who  was  a  very  swift  runner,  his 
wallet  to  carry. 

On  and  on  they  journeyed  until  they  came  to  a 
great  sea. 

'  How  are  we  to  get  over  this  ? '  asked  Loki. 

'  Swim  across  it,'  replied  Thor. 

And  in  they  all  plunged,  for  Thialfe  and  Raska 
were  used  to  a  hardy  life,  and  so  were  able  to  swim 
with  scarcely  more  weariness  than  Thor  and  Loki, 
and  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  opposite  shore. 

'The   country   does    not    improve,'    said    Loki 


TJwr  among  the  Jb'tuns.  5  7 

looking  round  upon  the  desolate  plain  that  lay 
outstretched  between  them  and  the  borders  of  a 
dark  forest,  which  they  could  just  see  in  the  far 
distance.  One  or  two  huge  rocks  thrust  their 
jagged  points  high  into  the  air,  and  great  blocks  of 
stone  were  scattered  about,  but  there  was  no  sign 
of  herbage  and  not  a  tree  to  be  seen  nearer  than 
the  forest  belt  bounding  the  horizon.  Heavy  grey 
clouds  were  drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
dreary  earth,  and  twilight  was  fast  approaching.  '  It 
looks  not  well,  in  good  sooth,'  answered  Thor,  'but 
we  must  push  on  and  perhaps  may  find  it  better 
as  we  go  onward.  Besides,  night  is  drawing  nigh, 
and  as  there  are  no  dwellings  to  be  seen  we  must 
try  to  gain  the  shelter  of  the  forest  before  it  is  too 
dark  to  see  where  we  are  going.' 

So  they  pushed  on,  and  though  they  looked  to 
the  right  hand  and  to  the  left  soon  found  that  they 
were  in  a  land  where  no  men  lived.  There  was 
therefore  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  quicken  their 
speed,  in  order  to  reach  the  shelter  of  the  forest. 
But  though  they  strove  to  the  utmost,  the  twilight 
deepened  into  darkness  and  the  darkness  became 
so  deep  by  the  time  they  reached  the  forest,  that 
they  only  knew  they  had  arrived  there  by  Loki's 


fcg  Wonderful  Stories. 

striking  his  head  against  a  low  branch,  and  soon 
after  this  Thor  cried  out : 

'  Good  luck !  I  have  found  a  house.  Follow  close 
after  me  and  we  will  make  ourselves  comfortable 
for  the  night.' 

For  Thor  in  groping  along  had  come  to  what  he 
supposed  to  be  a  wall  of  solid  masonry. 

'  Where  are  you  ? '  asked  Loki, '  for  it  is  so  dark 
that  I  cannot  see  you.' 

'  Here/  answered  Thor  stretching  out  his  hand ; 
'  take  hold  and  follow  me.' 

So  Loki  clutched  Thor's  arm  and  Thialfe  in 
turn  seized  the  arm  of  Loki,  whilst  Raska  clung  to 
her  brother  and  wished  herself  safe  at  home  in  her 
father's  hut 

And  thus  they  groped  their  way  along  the  wall 
seeking  to  find  an  entrance  to  the  house. 

At  last  Thor  found  a  huge  entrance  opening  into 
a  wide  hall,  and  passing  through  this  they  turned 
to  the  left  into  a  large  room  which  was  quite  empty, 
and  here,  after  eating  some  food,  they  stretched 
themselves  upon  the  hard  floor  and  wearied  out 
with  the  day's  march  soon  fell  asleep. 

But  they  did  not  sleep  long,  their  slumbers  were 
broken  by  a  rumbling  sound  as  of  a  coming  earth- 


Thor  among  the  Jo  tuns.  59 

quake,  the  walls  of  the  house  shook  and  peals  of 
thunder  echoed  through  the  lofty  chamber. 

Thor  sprang  up.  '  We  are  scarcely  safe  here,'  he 
said,  '  let  us  seek  some  other  room.'  Loki  jumped 
up  speedily,  as  did  also  Thialfe  and  Raska,  who 
were  in  a  great  fright  wondering  what  dreadful 
thing  was  going  to  happen  to  them.  They  willingly 
followed  Thor,  hoping  to  find  a  safer  place. 

To  the  right  they  saw  another  room  like  a  long 
gallery  with  a  huge  doorway,  and  into  this  Loki, 
Thialfe,  and  Raska  crept,  choosing  the  furthest 
corner  of  it ;  but  Thor  took  his  stand  at  the  door- 
way to  be  on  the  watch  if  any  fresh  danger  should 
threaten  them. 

After  a  somewhat  uncomfortable  rest,  Loki, 
Thialfe  and  Raska  were  not  sorry  to  find  that  the 
day  had  dawned,  though  as  there  were  no  windows 
in  the  house,  they  only  knew  it  by  hearing  the  cock 
crow. 

Thor  was  better  off,  for  the  doorway  was  so 
wide  that  the  sunlight  came  pouring  in  without 
hindrance.  Indeed  the  huge  size  of  the  doorway 
made  Thor  think  that  the  builder  must  have  given 
up  all  hope  of  ever  finding  a  door  large  enough  to 
fit  into  it. 


60  Wonderful  Stories. 

He  strolled  away  from  the  house,  and  the  first 
thing  that  he  saw  was  a  huge  giant  fast  asleep 
upon  the  greensward  ;  and  now  he  knew  that  the 
thunder  that  had  so  frightened  them  in  the  night 
had  been  nothing  more  or  less  than  the  loud  snoring 
of  the  giant. 

So  wroth  was  Thor  at  the  thought  that  such  a 
thing  should  have  made  him  afraid,  that  he  fastened 
on  his  belt  of  strength  and  drew  his  sword  and 
made  towards  the  giant  as  though  he  would  kill 
him  on  the  spot. 

But  the  giant  opening  his  great  round  eyes 
stared  so  steadily  at  Thor,  that  the  god  became 
mazed  and  could  do  nothing  but  stare  in  return. 

At  last  however  he  found  voice  to  ask,  *  What 
is  your  name  ? ' 

'My  name,'  said  the  giant,  raising  himself  on 
one  elbow,  thereby  causing  his  head  to  rise  so  high 
into  the  air  that  Thor  thought  it  was  taking  flight 
altogether,  'is  Skrymner;  you  I  believe  are  the  god 
Thor  ? ' 

'  I  am,'  answered  the  god. 

'  Do  you  happen  to  have  picked  up  my  glove  ?  ' 
asked  the  giant  carelessly. 

Then  Thor  knew  that  what  he  and   his  com- 


T/ior  among  the  Jotitns.  6 1 

panions  had  taken  for  a  large  house  was  only  the 
giant's  glove,  and  from  this  we  may  judge  how 
huge  a  giant  Skrymner  must  have  been. 

Thor  made  no  answer,  and  Skrymner  next 
asked  whither  Thor  was  travelling ;  and  when  he 
found  that  he  was  journeying  to  Utgard,  offered 
to  bear  him  company,  as  he  too  was  going  to  the 
same  place. 

Thor  accepted  the  giant's  offer,  and  after  eating 
a  hearty  meal,  all  were  ready  for  another  day's 
march. 

Skrymner  showed  himself  a  kindly  giant,  and 
insisted  upon  carrying  Thor's  bag  of  meal,  putting 
it  into  his  own  wallet,  which  he  slung  across  his 
broad  shoulders. 

It  must  have  been  a  strange  sight  indeed  to  see 
the  great  giant  stalking  along  with  his  smaller 
companions  at  his  heels  ;  and  we  may  well  marvel 
how  they  managed  to  keep  pace  with  him,  or  how 
Thor  was  able  to  raise  his  voice  to  such  a  pitch  as 
to  reach  the  giant's  ears. 

Nevertheless  all  went  well,  and  they  trudged 
cheerfully  along,  never  flagging  in  their  talk. 

Once  Skrymner  took  Raska  on  his  shoulder,  but 
the  height  made  her  so  giddy  that  she  was  glad  to 


62  Wonderful  Stories. 

come  down  again  and  walk  quietly  by  the  side  of 
Thialfe. 

When  night  overtook  them  they  encamped 
under  one  of  the  great  oak-trees,  for  they  were  not 
yet  out  of  the  bounds  of  the  forest.  Skrymner  to 
judge  by  his  loud  snoring  fell  asleep  the  moment 
he  lay  down  upon  the  ground,  but  Thor  and  his 
comrades  were  not  so  tired  as  to  forget  that  they 
had  tasted  nothing  since  breakfast  time.  Accord- 
ingly they  set  to  work  to  open  the  wallet  that 
Skrymner  had  given  into  their  hands  before  closing 
his  eyes. 

But  it  was  no  easy  task,  and  with  all  their  efforts 
they  failed  to  open  it.  Not  a  knot  could  they 
untie,  and  their  fingers  were  chafed  and  aching. 

Neither  were  they  more  able  to  awaken  Skrymner, 
and  Thor's  anger  waxed  exceeding  fierce.  '  You 
shall  pay  for  this,'  said  he,  flinging  his  hammer  at 
the  giant. 

Skrymner  half  opened  the  eye  nearest  to  Thor 
and  said  in  a  very  sleepy  voice,  '  Why  will  the 
leaves  drop  off  the  trees  ?'  And  then  he  snored  as 
loudly  as  before. 

Thor  picked  up  his  hammer,  and  approaching 
nearer  drove  it  into  the  hinder  part  of  the  giant's 


Thor  among  the  yd  tuns.  63 

head,  who  again  half  waking  up,  muttered,  '  How 
troublesome  the  dust  is.' 

Thor  was  exceedingly  astonished  at  this,  but 
thought  nevertheless  that  he  would  once  more  make 
trial  of  his  power  ;  so  coming  up  close  to  Skrymner 
he  struck  with  such  force  as  to  drive  the  hammer 
up  to  the  handle  in  the  giant's  cheek. 

Then  Skrymner  opened  both  eyes  and  lazily 
lifting  his  finger  to  his  face  said,  '  I  suppose  there 
are  birds  about,  for  I  fancied  I  felt  a  feather  fall.' 

Now  was  Thor  fairly  disconcerted ;  and  the  next 
morning  when  the  giant  told  him  that  they  must 
now  part  as  his  road  led  him  another  way,  he  was 
by  no  means  ill-pleased,  and  he  let  Skrymner  go 
without  so  much  as  bidding  him  '  good  speed/ 
Skrymner  however  seemed  not  to  notice  that  Thor 
was  glad  to  be  quit  of  his  company  and  gave  him 
some  very  friendly  advice  before  he  left  him. 

'  If  you  will  take  my  advice,'  said  the  giant,  'you 
will  give  up  this  thought  of  visiting  Utgard.  The 
people  there  are  all  giants  of  greater  stature  even 
than  I,  and  they  make  nothing  of  little  men,  such 
as  you  are.  Nay,  more,  you  yourself  are  likely  to 
fare  but  badly  amongst  them,  for  I  see  that  you  are 
rather  apt  to  think  too  much  of  yourself  and  to  take 


64  Wonderful  Stories. 

too  much  upon  you.  Be  wise  whilst  there  is  time, 
think  of  what  I  say,  and  don't  go  near  the  city.' 

'  But  I  will  go  there,'  shouted  Thor,  almost  choked 
with  rage;  'I  will  go  in  spite  of  all  the  Jotuns  of 
Jotunheim.  None  shall  hinder  me,  and  the  giants 
shall  see  and  wonder  at  the  mighty  power  of  the 
god  Thor.' 

And  as  he  spoke  the  rising  sun  fell  full  upon  the 
city  of  Utgard,  whose  huge  brazen  gates  glittered  in 
the  sunlight.  Even  though  they  were  so  far  away, 
Thor  could  see  how  high  they  were,  and  as  he  drew 
nearer  their  vast  size  filled  him  with  amazement ; 
but  when  he  reached  them  his  wonder  was  beyond 
all  words,  for  he  and  his  companions  seemed  no 
larger  than  grasshoppers,  in  comparison  with  their 
height. 

The  gates  were  not  open,  for  it  was  yet  early  ;  so 
Thor  and  his  comrades  crept  through  the  bars  and 
entered  the  city.  As  they  passed  along  the  streets 
the  houses  were  so  tall,  that  it  was  only  by  crossing 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  broad  road  that  they 
were  able  to  see  the  windows  in  the  topmost  stories. 
And  the  streets  were  so  wide  that  it  was  quite  a 
journey  across  them. 

Once  a  mouse  darted  out  of  a  hole  and  Raska 


Tkor  among  the  Jotuns.  65 

screamed,  for  she  thought  it  was  a  grisly  bear.  The 
mouse  also  shrieked  and  made  much  more  noise 
than  Raska,  as  well  it  might,  for  a  cat  so  huge  that 
Thialfe  half  thought  it  must  be  the  monster  of 
Midgard  seized  it,  and  giving  it  a  pat  with  one 
of  its  paws  laid  it  dead  on  the  pavement. 

As  for  the  horses  their  hoofs  were  terrible  to  look 
at,  and  Thialfe  and  Raska  must  have  climbed  up 
ladders  if  they  wished  to  see  their  heads. 

The  people  were  quite  as  large  as  Skrymner  had 
described,  and  Thor  and  his  companions  were 
obliged  to  be  very  careful  lest  they  should  get 
trodden  upon,  as  it  was  very  doubtful  if  the  people 
even  saw  them. 

Still  Thor  walked  along  with  the  proud  con- 
sciousness that  he  was  the  god  Thor  ;  and  feeling 
that  though  he  was  so  small  he  was  yet  a  person  of 
some  importance,  made  his  way  to  the  palace,  and 
desired  to  see  the  king. 

After  some  little  time  he  and  his  fellow  travellers 
were  ushered  into  the  presence  of  Utgarda  Loke,  the 
king  of  the  country.  And  Utgarda  Loke,  hearing 
the  door  open,  raised  his  eyes,  thinking  to  see  some 
great  courtier  enter,  but  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
bows  and  greetings  of  Thor,  until  happening  to 
F 


66  Wonderful  Stories. 

cast  his  eyes  to  the  ground,  he  saw  a  little  man 
with  his  companions  saluting  him  with  much 
ceremony. 

The  king  had  never  seen  such  small  men  before, 
and  there  was  something  so  absurd  to  him  in  the 
sight,  that  he  burst  out  laughing. 

And  then  all  the  courtiers  laughed  also,  pretend- 
ing that  they  had  not  seen  the  little  creatures 
before. 

It  was  some  time  before  they  all  left  off  laughing, 
but  at  length  there  was  a  pause,  and  Thor  essayed 
to  make  himself  heard. 

'Though  we  are  but  small  in  comparison  with 
the  Jotuns,'  said  he,  angrily,  '  we  are  by  no  means 
to  be  despised,  but  are  gifted  with  powers  that  may 
surprise  you.' 

'Really!'  answered  Utgarda  Loke,  raising  his 
eyebrows.  And  then  he  and  his  courtiers  laughed 
louder  than  before. 

At  last  there  was  another  pause  in  their  mer- 
riment, and  the  king  added  :  '  However,  we  are 
willing  to  give  the  strangers  a  fair  trial  in  order  to 
prove  the  truth  of  what  their  spokesman,  whom  I 
take  to  be  the  god  Thor,  says.  How  say  you  ? 
What  can  this  one  do  ? '  And  he  pointed  to  Loki. 


Thor  among  the  Jotuns.  67 

'  Please  your  majesty,  I  am  very  great  at  eating,' 
returned  Loki. 

'  Nay,'  answered  Utgarda  Loke,  '  you  must  grow 
a  little  before  you  are  great  at  anything.' 

At  which  speech  the  courtiers  again  shouted  with 
laughter ;  but  Utgarda  Loke,  turning  to  his  ser- 
vants, bade  them  make  trial  of  Loki's  powers.  So 
they  brought  a  great  trough  full  of  food,  and 
Loki  was  placed  at  one  end,  and  a  courtier  named 
Loge  at  the  other.  They  both  fell  to  work  to 
devour  what  was  before  them,  and  met  at  the 
middle  of  the  trough.  But  it  was  found  that 
whilst  Loki  had  only  eaten  the  flesh  of  his 
portion,  Loge  had  eaten,  not  only  the  flesh,  but 
the  bones  also.  Therefore  Loki  was,  of  course, 
vanquished. 

Then  Utgarda  Loke  turned  to  Thialfe.  'And 
pray,  in  what  may  this  youth  be  specially  skilled  ?' 
he  asked. 

'  I  am  a  swift  skater,'  answered  Thialfe. 

'  Try  him,'  said  the  king. 

And  Thialfe  was  led  to  a  plain  of  ice,  as  smooth 
as  glass,  and  one  named  Hugr  was  set  to  run 
against  him.  But  though  Thialfe  was  the  swiftest 


68  Wonderfiil  Stories. 

skater  ever  known  in  the  world,  yet  Hugr  glided 
past  him  so  fleetly  that  he  had  returned  to  the 
starting  post  before  Thialfe  had  done  more  than 
a  quarter  of  the  distance. 

Three  times  did  Thialfe  match  his  speed  against 
Hugr,  and,  three  times  beaten,  withdrew  from  the 
contest  as  disconsolate  as  Loki. 

'And  now  may  I  ask  what  you  can  do  your- 
self?' said  the  king  to  Thor. 

'  I  can  drain  a  wine-cup  with  anyone/  replied  the 
god. 

'  Try  him,'  said  Utgarda  Loke. 

And  forthwith  the  royal  cupbearer  presented  a 
drinking-horn  to  Thor. 

'  If  you  are  as  great  as  you  pretend  to  be,' 
said  the  king,  '  you  will  drain  it  at  one  draught. 
Some  people  take  two  pulls  at  it,  but  the  weakest 
among  us  can  manage  it  in  three.' 

Thor  took  up  the  horn,  and  being  very  thirsty 
took  a  steady  pull  at  it.  He  thought  he  had  done 
very  well,  but  on  removing  it  from  his  lips  he  mar- 
velled to  see  how  little  had  gone. 

A  second  time  he  took  a  draught,  but  the  horn 
was  far  from  being  emptied. 


Thor  among  the  Jotuns.  69 

Again  a  third  time  he  essayed  to  drain  it,  but  it 
was  full  almost  to  the  brim. 

Therefore  he  set  it  down  in  despair,  and  confessed 
himself  unable  to  drain  it. 

'  I  am  disappointed  in  you,'  said  Utgarda  Loke, 
'  you  are  not  half  the  man  I  took  you  for.  I  see  it 
is  of  no  use  asking  you  to  do  warrior's  feats  ;  I  must 
try  you  in  a  simpler  way,  in  a  child's  play  that  we 
have  amongst  us.  You  shall  try  to  lift  my  cat 
from  the  ground.' 

Thor  turned  quite  scarlet,  and  then  became  white 
with  rage. 

'  Are  you  afraid  ? '  asked  Utgarda  Loke,  '  you 
look  so  pale.' 

And  a  large  grey  cat  came  leaping  along,  and 
planted  itself  firmly  before  Thor,  showing  its  sharp 
claws  and  glaring  upon  him  with  its  fiery  eyes. 

Thor  seized  it,  but  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  he 
was  only  able  to  raise  one  of  the  cat's  paws  from 
the  ground. 

'  Pooh  !  pooh  ! '  exclaimed  Utgarda  Loke,  '  you 
are  a  mere  baby,  fit  only  for  the  nursery.  I  believe 
that  my  old  nurse  Hela  would  be  more  than  a 
match  for  you.  Here,  Hela,  come  and  wrestle  with 
the  mighty  god  Thor.' 


jo  Wonderful  Stories. 

And  Utgarda  Loke  laughed  disdainfully. 

Forth  stepped  a  decrepit  old  woman,  with  lank 
cheeks  and  toothless  jaws.  Her  eyes  were  sunken, 
her  brow  furrowed,  and  her  scanty  locks  were  white 
as  snow. 

She  advanced  towards  Thor,  and  tried  to  throw 
him  to  the  ground;  but  though  he  put  forth  his 
whole  strength  to  withstand  her,  he  was  surprised 
to  find  how  powerful  she  was,  and  that  it  needed 
all  his  efforts  to  keep  his  feet.  For  a  long  time  he 
was  successful,  but  at  length  she  brought  him  down 
upon  one  knee,  and  Thor  was  obliged  to  acknow- 
ledge himself  conquered. 

Ashamed  and  mortified,  he  and  his  companions 
withdrew  to  a  lodging  for  the  night,  and  in  the 
morning  were  making  ready  to  leave  the  city 
quietly,  when  Utgarda  Loke  sent  for  them. 

He  made  them  a  splendid  feast,  and  afterwards 
went  with  them  beyond  the  city  gates. 

'  Now  tell  me  honestly,'  said  he  to  Thor,  '  what 
do  you  think  of  your  success  ? ' 

'  I  am  beyond  measure  astounded  and  ashamed/ 
replied  the  god. 

'  Ha !  ha  ! '  laughed  Utgarda  Loke,  '  I  knew  that 
you  were.  However,  as  we  are  well  out  of  the  city 


Thor  among  the  Jotuns.  7 1 

I  don't  mind  telling  you  a  secret  or  two.  Doubt- 
less you  will  receive  a  little  comfort  from  my 
doing  so,  as  you  confess  that  your  coming  hither 
has  been  to  no  purpose. 

'  In  the  first  place,  you  have  been  deceived  by 
enchantments  ever  since  you  came  within  the 
borders  of  Jotunheim.  I  am  the  giant  you  met 
with  on  your  way  hither,  and  if  I  had  known  as 
much  of  your  power  then  as  I  do  now,  you  would 
never  have  found  your  way  within  the  walls  of 
Utgard. 

'  Certainly  I  had  had  some  slight  experience  of 
it,  for  the  three  blows  you  gave  would  have  killed 
me  had  they  fallen  upon  me.  But  it  was  not  I, 
but  a  huge  mountain  that  you  struck  at ;  and  if 
you  visit  it  again,  you  will  find  three  valleys  cleft 
in  the  rocks  by  the  strokes  of  your  hammer. 

'  As  for  the  wallet,  I  had  fastened  it  with  a 
magic  chain,  so  that  you  need  not  wonder  that  you 
could  not  open  it 

'  Loge,  with  whom  Loki  strove,  was  no  courtier, 
but  a  subtle  devouring  flame  that  consumed  all 
before  it ' 

Here  Loki  uttered  an  exclamation  of  delight, 
but  Thor  bade  him  be  silent,  and  Utgarda  Loke 
went  on : 


7  2  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  Thialfe's  enemy  was  Hugr  or  Thought,  and  let 
man  work  away  as  hard  as  he  pleases,  Thought 
will  still  outrun  him. 

'  As  for  yourself,  the  end  of  the  drinking-horn, 
though  you  did  not  see  it,  reached  the  sea,  and  as 
fast  as  you  emptied  it,  it  filled  again,  so  that  you 
never  could  have  drained  it  dry.  But  the  next 
time  that  you  stand  upon  the  seashore,  you  will 
find  how  much  less  the  ocean  is  by  your  draughts. 

'  The  grey  cat  was  no  cat,  but  the  great  Serpent 
of  Midgard  that  twines  round  the  world,  and  you 
lifted  him  so  high  that  we  were  all  quite  frightened. 

'  But  your  last  feat  was  the  most  wonderful  of  all, 
for  Hela  was  none  other  than  Death.  And  never 
did  I  see  anyone  before  over  whom  Death  had  so 
little  power. 

'  And  now,  my  friend,  go  your  way,  and  don't 
come  near  my  city  again,  for  I  tell  you  plainly  I 
do  not  want  you  there,  and  I  shall  use  all  kinds  of 
enchantment  to  keep  you  out  of  it.' 

As  he  ended  his  speech,  Thor  raised  his  hammer, 
but  Utgarda  Loke  had  vanished. 

'  I  will  return  to  the  city,  and  be  avenged,'  said 
Thor. 

But  lo !  the  giant  city  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 


Thor  among  the  Jotiins.  73 

A  fair  pasture-land  spread  itself  out  around  him, 
and  through  its  midst  a  broad  river  flowed  peace- 
fully along. 

So  Thor  and  his  companions,  musing  upon  their 
wonderful  adventures,  turned  their  steps  home 
ward. 


74  Wonderful  Stories. 


V. 
SIFS  GOLDEN  HAIR. 

SIF  was  the  wife  of  Thor,  and  Thor  was  the  son  of 
Odin.  Thor  lived  in  a  splendid  palace  which  had 
five  hundred  and  forty  halls. 

Sif  sat  weeping  bitterly  as  she  gazed  into  the 
stream  that  served  her  as  a  mirror.  Why  should 
she  be  so  unhappy  ?  Surely  it  was  a  great  thing  to 
be  the  wife  of  the  god  Thor,  and  mistress  of  a  palace 
with  five  hundred  and  forty  rooms ;  nevertheless 
she  wept,  and  good  reason  she  had  for  doing  so. 

Sif  had  prided  herself  very  much  upon  her  long 
golden  ringlets,  which  were  so  beautiful  that  they 
were  praised  throughout  the  land  of  Asgard.  Now 
they  were  all  gone,  there  was  not  a  single  hair  left 
upon  her  head. 

Doubtless,  the  sight  was  strange,  and  had  you 
seen  her  you  might  have  felt  half  inclined  to  laugh  ; 
but  Sif  thought  it  no  laughing  matter.  All  her  hair 
was  gone,  and  there  were  no  wig-makers  in  Asgard 
to  supply  her  with  new  tresses.  So  Sif  was  very 


Sif's  Golden  Hair.  75 

sorrowful.  Besides,  what  would  Thor  think  of  her 
when  he  saw  her?  Would  he  know  her  for  the 
beautiful  Sif?  and  as  she  caught  a  glimpse  of 
herself  in  the  watery  looking-glass  her  tears  fell 
faster  than  ever. 

Not  far  from  the  spot  where  she  was  sitting,  there 
was  a  cavern,  whose  mouth  was  half  hidden  by 
a  tall  pine  tree,  and  from  behind  this  tall  pine  tree  a 
dark  face,  whose  eyes  gleamed  with  malicious  joy, 
peered  forth.  The  more  Sif  wept,  brighter  shone 
the  cruel  eyes,  and  Loki  (for  it  was  he)  laughed 
softly  to  himself. 

Loki  was  at  the  present  time  at  enmity  with 
Thor,  and  to  vex  him  he  had  charmed  away  Sif's 
beautiful  hair.  He  was  now  making  merry  at  her 
grief,  and  rejoicing  in  the  thought  of  how  vexed 
Thor  would  be  at  what  he  had  done. 

Soon  a  sound  of  thunder  was  heard  among  the 
rocks,  and  Loki  knew  that  Thor  was  near  at  hand. 
He  did  not  feel  altogether  comfortable  as  he  heard 
the  god  draw  near,  for  he  had  felt  his  power  more 
than  once,  and  he  began  to  think  it  might  not  be 
altogether  pleasant  to  meet  him  in  the  first  burst 
of  his  wrath.  So,  as  Loki  could  change,  himself 
into  any  form  he  pleased,  he  plunged  into  the 


7  6  Wonder fu I  Stories. 

stream  and  became  a  salmon-trout,  thereby  hoping 
to  escape  Thor's  notice. 

But  Thor  had  already  seen  him,  and  at  the  same 
time  his  eye  fell  upon  the  weeping  Sif,  shorn  of 
all  her  hair. 

'  Who  has  done  this  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  Loki,'  sobbed  Sif. 

'  Thou  caitiff,'  said  Thor,  addressing  himself  to 
the  salmon-trout,  '  thou  shalt  be  sorely  punished 
for  what  thou  hast  done.'  And  changing  himself 
into  a  huge  sea-gull  Thor  dived  into  the  water  and 
seized  the  salmon-trout  in  his  beak. 

'  Now  will  I  break  all  thy  bones,  as  a  miller 
crushes  the  grain  to  powder,'  exclaimed  Thor. 

Then  Loki  took  again  his  own  shape  and  an- 
swered : 

'  If  you  break  my  bones  to  pieces  and  scatter 
them  to  the  winds,  it  will  not  help  to  bring  back 
Sif's  hair.  Now,  if  you  will  only  spare  me  this 
time  I  will  get  fairer  tresses  for  Sif  than  those  she 
has  lost.  This  I  swear  by  the  eye  of  Odin,  by  the 
moss  on  the  grave  of  the  wise  Mimir,  and,  greater 
than  all,  by  thy  wondrous  hammer.' 

Then  Thor  thundered  forth,  '  Thou  knave,  how 
darest  thou  swear  by  my  hammer.  ?  Dost  thou 


Sif's  Golden  Hair.  77 

not  know  that  Miolnir  is  hidden  beneath  the 
waters  ? ' 

Then  Loki  shook  and  trembled  like  an  aspen 
leaf,  but  he  found  voice  to  answer,  '  If  thou  wilt 
spare  me  this  once,  O  mighty  Thor,  I  will  go  to 
my  kinsmen,  the  dwarfs,  and  from  them  I  can 
get  whatever  I  ask  for.  In  their  underground 
kingdom  there  are  wonderful  forges,  and  they  can 
make  for  thee  a  better  hammer  than  the  one  thou 
hast  lost.  Spare  me  this  once,  O  most  gracious 
Thor,  spare  me ! ' 

'  No/  said  Thor,  '  I  will  not  spare  thee.  Thou 
dost  deserve  death,  and  death  shall  be  thy  fate. 
I  have  come  hither  with  Freyr,  my  sworn  comrade, 
and  we  will  have  thy  life.' 

Then  Loki  fell  weeping  at  the  feet  of  Freyr. 
'  O  Freyr,  have  pity  upon  me.  Prevail  upon  Thor 
to  forgive  me,  and  I  will  bring  thee  a  courser  the 
like  of  which  hath  never  been  seen.  Never  shall 
he  grow  weary,  though  thou  shouldst  ride  him  day 
and  night.  He  shall  gallop  alike  over  land  and 
sea,  and  from  his  hair  shall  come  a  bright  light 
that  will  light  thee  on  the  darkest  midnight.' 

And  Loki  begged  so  earnestly  and  swore  so 
solemnly  and  promised  repentance  so  fairly,  that 


7  8  Wonderful  Stories. 

at  length  Thor  and  Freyr  let  him  go  on  condition 
that  he  should  bring  them  the  gifts  he  promised. 

So  Loki  slunk  away,  and  down  he  crept  through 
the  cold  hard  rocks  into  the  colder  earth,  down, 
down,  until  he  came  to  the  underground  world 
where  the  dwarfs  were  at  work. 

Loki  was  not  sorry  to  feel  the  pleasant  warmth 
of  the  forge  fires,  for  he  had  had  a  very  chilling 
journey,  and  the  bright  ruddy  glow  of  the  flames 
was  a  cheerful  sight,  and  there  was  something  lifelike 
and  cheering  in  the  sharp  ring  of  the  hammers, 
and  in  the  roaring  of  the  great  bellows.  It  was 
wonderful  to  see  the  dwarfs  in  their  leather  aprons 
working  away  so  busily  and  hammering  the  brown 
stone  into  pure  gold. 

But  if  this  were  wonderful,  it  was  equally 
wonderful  and  perhaps  a  more  beautiful  sight  to 
see  them  make  precious  stones  out  of  common 
rock-crystal.  Some  they  tinged  with  dye  got 
from  deep  crimson  rosebuds,  and  lo  they  made 
rubies  and  carbuncles.  Into  some  they  pressed 
the  juice  of  early  violets,  and  behold  there  glittered 
priceless  sapphires  ;  whilst  the  purple  grape  juice 
and  the  greenest  grasses  furnished  delicate  tints 
for  amethysts  and  emeralds. 

.- 


SIF'S    GOLDEN     HAIR. 

'  It  was  -wonderful  to  see  the  dwarfs  in  their  leather  aprons  working 
away  so  busily'  (p.  78). 


<Sif's  Golden  Hair.  79 

It  was  a  wonderful  place,  this  underground  world 
of  the  dwarfs,  and  they  kept  their  secrets  carefully 
from  the  people  of  the  upper  world. 

'  Welcome,'  said  Dvalin,  one  of  the  dwarfs,  to 
Loki;  'welcome  to  our  kingdom.  What  errand 
may  have  brought  you  hither  ? ' 

Then  Loki  told  how  he  had  charmed  away  Sif 's 
hair,  and  that  he  wanted  new  ringlets  for  her,  and 
a  steed  for  Freyr,  a  new  hammer  for  Thor,  and  a 
ring  for  Odin. 

'All  these  shalt  thou  have,  and  of  the  best,' 
returned  Dvalin ;  '  thou  art  our  kinsman,  and  it 
shall  never  be  said  that  the  dwarfs  failed  in  their 
friendship.' 

Then  the  dwarfs  took  the  skin  of  a  wild  boar 
and  threw  it  into  the  furnace,  where  the  flames 
leaped  round  it  till  it  turned  red  and  seemed  to  be 
consumed  by  a  million  tiny  stars,  then  it  burned 
and  burned  until  we  might  think  that  it  must  have 
been  burnt  to  tinder ;  but  it  was  not  so.  It  had 
simply  grown  into  a  solid  block  at  which  the  dwarfs 
pounded  away  with  their  sledge-hammers  as  if  it 
had  been  a  piece  of  red-hot  iron. 

Then  again  they  thrust  it  into  the  furnace,  and 
taking  their  bellows  blew  the  flames  into  such  a 


8o  Wonderful  Stories. 

roaring  sparkling  column  that  Loki  half  thought 
they  meant  to  set  the  upper-world  on  fire,  and 
whilst  some  blew  the  others  plied  their  hammers  so 
quickly  that  the  cave  rang  with  the  clang  of  their 
blows. 

Now  all  this  time  Loki  was  sitting  by,  regretting 
that  he  had  made  so  many  promises  and  sorry  to 
see  how  well  the  work  was  going  on.  For  now 
that  he  was  safely  away  from  Thor  and  Freyr  he 
did  not  wish  them  to  have  the  wonderful  gifts  that 
he  had  promised  to  get  for  them,  and  though  he 
knew  that  he  should  be  obliged  to  keep  his  word, 
he  determined  that  if  he  could  in  any  way  injure 
his  kinsmen's  work  he  would  do  so.  So  he  changed 
himself  into  a  venomous  fly  and  perched  upon  the 
wrist  of  Brokur  who  was  blowing  the  bellows' 
Happily  Brokur's  skin  was  so  tough  that  he  did 
not  feel  the  bite  that  Loki  gave  him  and  went 
on  blowing  steadily,  and  in  due  time  the  work  was 
finished  and  out  of  the  fire  leaped  the  golden- 
haired  Gullinborst,  the  most  wonderful  wild-boar 
that  was  ever  heard  of,  and  this  was  the  fleet  steed 
that  Freyr  the  sun-god  was  to  have  to  carry  him 
round  the  world. 

Then  the  dwarfs  set  to  work  to  make  the  ring 


Sif's  Golden  Hair.  81 

for  Odin,  and  a  wonderful  ring  it  was,  of  broad 
gold,  shaped  like  a  serpent  with  its  tail  in  its 
mouth,  and  studded  all  over  with  precious  stones. 
This  was  the  ring  Dropner  that  afterwards  became 
so  well  known. 

No  sooner  was  it  finished  than  the  unwearied 
dwarfs  set  to  work  again  to  make  the  hammer  for 
Thor ;  and  for  this  purpose  they  took  a  bar  of  cold 
iron,  v/hich,  without  heating,  they  began  to  beat 
with  their  hammers. 

They  used  neither  file  nor  fire ;  yet  it  grew 
shapely  and  strong  beneath  their  even  blows.  Loki 
soon  saw  that  this  hammer  would  be  better  than 
Miolnir,  and  vexed  exceedingly,  he  determined  to 
do  his  best  that  it  might  not  be  as  perfect  as  the 
dwarfs  wished  to  make  it. 

After  some  thought  as  to  the  best  means  of 
doing  his  work,  he  changed  himself  into  a  hornet 
and  stung  the  chief  worker  so  terribly  on  the  fore- 
head that  the  blood  gushed  forth,  and  the  dwarf 
raising  his  hand  to  the  wound  before  the  steel  was 
quite  beaten  out,  missed  his  stroke  and  so  the 
haft  was  left  an  inch  too  short,  and  there  was  not 
time  to  make  another.  Still,  in  spite  of  this,  the 
G 


82  Wonderful  Stories. 

hammer  was  a  very  strong  hammer,  much  stronger 
than  Loki  wished  it  to  be. 

All  the  gifts  were  now  ready  excepting  the  hair 
for  Sif.  But  this  was  not  the  work  of  Dvalin  or 
Brokur. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  cave  sat  a  dwarf  woman 
with  a  spinning-wheel,  and  presently  an  elf  bearing 
a  load  of  gold  upon  his  head  came  to  her.  The 
dwarf  woman  took  the  gold  and  began  to  spin  it 
into  a  slender  thread,  and  as  she  spun  she  sang 
this  song : 

'  Golden  hair  I  spin 
For  Sif  the  fair- 
Golden  hair  I  spin 
Bright  beyond  compare. 
Golden  hair  I  spin, 
It  shall  bring  her  love — 
Golden  hair  I  spin, 
Not  e'en  the  queen  above 
Can  such  beauteous  tresses  show 
As  these  that  o'er  Sif  s  neck  shall  flow. 
Golden  hair  I  spin,  I  spin, 
Nought  shall  harm  these  locks  of  gold, 
Magic  spell,  nor  malice  bold ; 
Golden  locks  I  spin,  I  spin. ' 

And  then  the  dwarf-woman  rolled  the  golden 
thread  into  a  great  ball,  and  after  snipping  it  in 
several  places  with  her  long  scissors  shook  it  out, 
and  it  fell  into  the  most  lovely  ringlets  possible. 


Stf's  Golden  Hair.  83 

She  gave  the  glossy  tresses  to  Loki,  who  was 
very  sorry  to  see  how  beautiful  they  were. 

'As  soon  as  they  touch  Sif's  head/  said  the 
dwarf  woman,  '  they  will  grow  to  it  just  like  her 
own  hair.' 

'  Will  they  ? '  said  Loki  rather  curtly,  for  he  was 
not  half  so  well  pleased  with  the  dwarf  woman's 
success  as  she  was  herself. 

'  And  Sif  will  be  more  beautiful  than  ever ! '  she 
added. 

But  Loki  moved  away  so  as  not  to  hear  what 
she  was  saying ;  and,  bidding  the  dwarfs  farewell,  he 
departed  with  his  presents  to  the  upper  regions. 

Thor  was  delighted  with  the  hair  and  confessed 
that  Loki  had  indeed  kept  his  promise  well.  The 
hammer  too  was  far  beyond  his  hopes,  and  he  was 
quite  satisfied  with  it. 

Freyr  too  was  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of  Gullen- 
borst,  and,  leaping  on  its  back,  rode  away  at  full 
speed. 

As  for  Sif,  she  danced  for  joy  when  Thor  brought 
her  the  golden  locks,  and  her  fingers  trembled  so 
that  she  could  scarcely  put  them  on.  However, 
the  curls  seemed  to  go  right  of  themselves  ;  and 
as  the  old  dwarf  woman  had  said,  they  grew  to  her 


84  Wonderful  Stories. 

head  at  once,  and  were  even  more  shining  and 
beautiful  than  her  own  hair  had  been. 

The  ring  was  brought  to  Odin  on  a  great  feast- 
day,  and  it  was  agreed  that  all  Loki's  previous 
misdoings  should  be  pardoned  because  he  had 
kept  his  promises  so  well. 

So  Loki  was  forgiven  ;  but  as  he  was  always 
happiest  when  he  was  in  mischief  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  he  would  remain  very  long  without 
again  offending  the  gods. 


VI. 

THE    WONDERFUL   QUERN  STONES. 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  of  Denmark 
or  Gotland,  as  it  was  then  called,  whose  name  was 
Frothi.  He  was  a  great-grandson  of  the  god  Thor 
and  a  very  mighty  king,  and  wherever  the  Danish 
language  was  spoken  there  was  Frothi's  name 
honoured  and  respected. 

Among  his  treasures  were  two  quern  stones  ; 
nothing  much  to  look  at,  simply  two  common  mill 
stones  in  appearance,  and  no  one  who  did  not 
know  what  they  could  do  would  think  of  taking 
any  notice  of  them.  Nevertheless,  these  quern 
stones  were  of  more  worth  than  anything  that 
King  Frothi  had,  for  they  could  produce  anything1 
that  the  grinder  of  the  quern  or  handmill  wished 
for.  They  would  bring  gold,  silver,  precious  stones, 
anything  and  everything ;  and  besides  this  they 
could  grind  love,  joy,  peace ;  therefore  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  these  stones  were  worth  more 
than  all  the  treasures  of  the  king  put  together. 


86  Wonderful  Stories. 

At  least  they  would  have  been  if  he  could  have 
made  use  of  them,  but  they  were  so  heavy  that 
few  could  be  found  to  turn  the  quern,  and  just  at 
the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking  there  was  no  one 
at  all  in  the  land  of  Gotland  able  to  work  away  at 
the  quern  handle. 

Now  the  more  King  Frothi  pondered  over  his 
wonderful  quern  stones,  the  greater  became  his 
desire  to  use  them,  and  he  sought  throughout  the 
land  from  north  to  south,  from  east  to  west,  if  per- 
chance he  might  find  some  one  strong  enough  to 
help  him  in  his  need.  But  all  to  no  purpose, 
and  he  was  utterly  in  despair  when,  by  good 
luck,  he  happened  to  go  on  a  visit  to  Fiolnir, 
king  of  Sweden,  and  to  hear  of  two  slave-women 
of  great  size  and  strength.  Surely,  thought  Frothi, 
these  are  just  the  women  to  grind  at  my  quern 
Grotti  (for  so  it  was  called),  and  he  asked  King 
Fiolnir  to  be  allowed  to  see  them. 

So  King  Fiolnir  ordered  the  slaves  to  be  brought 
before  Frothi,  and  when  Frothi  saw  them  his  spirits 
rose,  for  certainly  Menia  and  Fenia  were  strong- 
looking  women.  They  were  eight  feet  in  height, 
and  broader  across  the  shoulders  than  any  of 
Frothi's  warriors,  and  the  muscles  of  their  arms 


The  Wonderful  Quern  Stones.          87 

stood  out  like  cords.  And  they  lifted  heavy 
weights,  threw  heavy  javelins,  and  did  so  many 
feats  of  strength  that  Frothi  felt  quite  sure  that 
they  would  be  able  to  turn  the  quern  handle. 

'  I  will  buy  these  slaves,'  said  he,  '  and  take  them 
with  me  to  Gotland.' 

Menia  and  Fenia  stood  with  their  arms  folded 
and  their  proud  heads  bowed  down,  whilst  Frothi 
counted  out  the  gold  to  the  seller.  They  were 
slaves ;  with  money  had  they  been  bought,  with 
money  were  they  sold  again.  What  cared  Frothi 
who  was  their  father,  or  how  they  had  come  into 
the  land  of  Sweden  ? 

And  he  •  took  them  home  with  him  and  bade 
them  grind  at  the  quern.  Now  he  should  be  able 
to  test  the  power  of  the  wonderful  stones. 

-'  Grind,  grind,  Menia  and  Fenia,  let  me  see 
whether  ye  have  strength  for  the  work.' 

So  spake  King  Frothi,  and  the  huge  women 
lifted  the  heavy  stones  as  though  they  had  been 
pebbles. 

'  What  shall  we  grind  ?'  asked  the  slaves. 

'  Gold,  gold,  peace  and  wealth  for  Frothi.' 

Gold !  gold !  the  land  was  filled  with  riches. 
Treasure  in  the  king's  palace,  treasure  in  the 


88  Wonderful  Stories. 

coffers  of  his  subjects— gold !  gold  !  There  were 
no  poor  in  the  land,  no  beggars  in  the  streets,  no 
children  crying  for  bread.  All  honour  to  the  quern 
stones  ! 

Peace !  peace  !  no  more  war  in  the  land,  Frothi 
is  at  peace  with  everyone.  And  more  than  that, 
there  was  peace  in  all  countries  where  Frothi's 
name  was  known,  even  to  the  far  south ;  and 
everyone  talked  of  Frothi's  peace.  Praise  be  to 
the  quern  stones ! 

Wealth !  yes,  everything  went  well.  Not  one 
of  the  counsels  of  King  Frothi  failed.  There  was 
not  a  green  field  that  did  not  yield  a  rich  crop; 
not  a  tree  but  bent  beneath  its  weight  of  fruit ;  not 
a  stream  that  ran  dry;  not  a  vessel  that  sailed 
from  the  harbours  of  Gotland  that  came  not  back, 
after  a  fair  voyage,  in  safety  to  its  haven.  There 
was  good  luck  everywhere. 

'  Grind  on,  grind  on,  Menia  and  Fenia !  good  for- 
tune is  mine,'  said  King  Frothi. 

And  the  slaves  ground  on. 

'  When  shall  we  rest,  when  may  we  rest,  King 
Frothi  ?  It  is  weary  work  toiling  day  and  night.' 

'No  longer  than  whilst  the  cuckoo  is  silent  in 
the  spring." 


The  Wonderful  Quern  Stones.          89 

'  Never  ceasing  is  the  cry  of  the  cuckoo  in  the 
groves  ;  may  we  not  rest  longer?' 

'  Not  longer,'  answered  King  Frothi,  '  than  whilst 
the  verse  of  a  song  is  sung.' 

'That  is  but  little!'  sighed  Menia  and  Fenia, 
and  they  toiled  on.  Their  arms  were  weary  and 
their  eyes  heavy,  they  would  fain  have  slept ;  but 
Frothi  would  not  let  them  have  any  sleep.  They 
were  but  slaves  who  must  obey  their  master,  so 
they  toiled  on,  still  grinding  peace  and  wealth  to 
Frothi— 

'  To  Frothi  and  his  queen 

Joy  and  peace — 
May  plenty  in  the  land 

Still  increase, 
Frothi  and  his  queen 

From  dangers  keep ; 
May  they  on  beds  of  down 

Sweetly  sleep. 
No  sword  be  drawn 

In  Gotland  old, 
By  murderer  bold. 

No  harm  befall 
The  high  or  low — 

To  none  be  woe, 
Good  luck  to  all. 

Good  luck  to  all, 
We  grind,  we  grind. 

No  rest  we  find, 
For  rest  we  call. ' 


90  Wonderful  Stories. 

Thus  sang  the  two  giant  women  ;  then  they 
begged  again,  '  Give  us  rest,  O  Frothi ! ' 

But  still  Frothi  answered,  '  Rest  whilst  the  verse 
of  a  song  is  sung,  or  as  long  as  the  cuckoo  is  silent 
in  the  spring.' 

No  longer  would  the  king  give  them. 

Yet  Frothi  was  deemed  a  good  king,  but  gold 
and  good  luck  were  hardening  his  heart. 

Menia  and  Fenia  went  on  grinding  and  their 
wrath  grew  deeper  and  deeper,  and  thus  at  last 
they  spoke. 

First  said  Fenia,  '  Thou  wert  not  wise,  O 
Frothi.  Thou  didst  buy  us  because  like  giants 
we  towered  above  the  other  slaves,  because  we 
were  strong  and  hardy  and  could  lift  heavy 
burdens.' 

And  Menia  took  up  the  wail :  '  Are  we  not  of 
the  race  of  the  mountain  giants  ?  Are  not  our 
kindred  greater  than  thine,  O  Frothi  ?  The  quern 
had  never  left  the  grey  fell  but  for  the  giants' 
daughters.  Never,  never  should  we  have  ground 
as  we  have  done,  had  it  not  been  that  we  remem- 
bered from  what  race  we  sprang.' 

Then  answered  Menia  :  '  Nine  long  winters  saw 
us  training  to  feats  of  strength,  nine  long  winters 


T/ie  Wonderful  Quern  Stones.          9 1 

of  wearisome  labour.  Deep  down  in  the  earth  we 
toiled  and  toiled  until  we  could  move  the  high 
mountain  from  its  foundations.  We  are  weird 
women,  O  Frothi.  We  can  see  far  into  the 
future.  Our  eyes  have  looked  upon  the  quern 
before.  In  the  giants'  house  we  whirled  it  until 
the  earth  shook,  and  hoarse  thunder  resounded 
through  the  caverns.  Thou  art  not  wise,  O  Frothi. 
O  Frothi,  thou  art  not  wise  ! ' 

But  Frothi  heard  them  not;  he  was  sleeping 
the  sweet  sleep  that  the  quern  stones  had  ground 
for  him. 

'  Strong  are  we  indeed,'  laughed  Fenia,  sorrow- 
fully, '  strong  to  contend  with  the  puny  men.  We, 
whose  pastime  in  Sweden  was  to  tame  the  fiercest 
bears,  so  that  they  ate  from  our  hands.  We  who 
fought  with  mighty  warriors  and  came  off  con- 
querors. We  who  helped  one  prince  and  put 
down  another.  Well  we  fought,  and  many  were 
the  wounds  we  received  from  sharp  spears  and 
flashing  swords.  Frothi  knows  not  our  power,  or 
he  would  scarce  have  brought  us  to  his  palace  to 
treat  us  thus.  Here  no  one  has  compassion  upon 
us.  Cold  are  the  skies  above  us,  and  the  pitiless 
wind  beats  upon  our  breast  Cold  is  the  ground 


92  Wonderful  Stories. 

on  which  we  stand,  and  the  keen  frost  bites  our 
feet.  Ah,  there  are  none  to  pity  us.  No  one  cares 
for  the  slaves.  We  grind  for  ever  an  enemy's 
quern,  and  he  gives  us  no  rest.  Grind,  grind ;  I 
am  weary  of  grinding;  I  must  have  rest.' 

'  Nay/  returned  Menia,  '  talk  not  of  rest  until 
Frothi  is  content  with  what  we  bring  him.' 

Then  Fenia  started  :  '  If  he  gives  us  no  rest,  let 
us  take  it  ourselves.  Why  should  we  any  longer 
grind  good  for  him  who  only  gives  us  evil  ?  We 
can  grind  what  we  please.  Let  us  revenge  our- 
selves.' 

Then  Menia  turned  the  handle  quicker  than 
ever,  and  in  a  wild  voice  she  sang : 

'  I  see  a  ship  come  sailing 
With  warriors  bold  aboard, 
There's  many  a  one  that  in  Danish  blood 
Would  be  glad  to  dip  his  sword. 
Say  shall  we  grind  them  hither  ? 
Say  shall  they  land  to-night  ? 
Say  shall  they  set  the  palace  a-fire  ? 
Say  shall  they  win  the  fight  ? ' 

Then  called  Fenia  in  a  voice  of  thunder  through 
the  midnight  air :  '  Frothi,  Frothi,  awake,  awake  ! 
Wilt  thou  not  listen  to  us  ?  Have  mercy  and  let 
us  rest  our  weary  limbs.' 


THE    WONDERFUL    QUERN-STONES. 

' Again  Fenia  shouted  "Frothi  Frothi,  awake  !  the 
beacon  is  Hazing" '  (p.  93). 


The  Wonder  fid  Quern  Stones.          93 

But  all  was  still,  and  Frothi  gave  no  answer  to 
the  cry. 

'  Nay,'  answered  Menia,  '  he  will  not  hearken. 
Little  he  cares  for  the  worn-out  slaves.  Revenge, 
revenge  ! ' 

And  Frothi  slept,  not  dreaming  of  the  evil  that 
was  coming  upon  him. 

And  again  Fenia  shouted :  '  Frothi,  Frothi, 
awake  !  The  beacon  is  blazing.  Danger  is  nigh. 
Wilt  thou  not  spare  ? ' 

But  Frothi  gave  no  answer,  and  the  giant  women 
toiled  on. 

'  O  Frothi,  Frothi,  we  cannot  bear  our  weari- 
ness.' 

And  still  no  answer  came. 

'  Frothi,  Frothi,  danger  is  nigh  thee.  Well- 
manned  ships  are  gliding  over  the  sea.  It  is 
Mysingr  who  comes,  his  white  sail  flutters  in  the 
wind.  His  flag  is  unfurled.  Frothi,  Frothi,  awake, 
awake  !  thou  shalt  be  king  no  longer.' 

And  as  the  giant  women  ground,  the  words 
they  spake  came  to  pass,  they  were  grinding 
revenge  for  themselves,  and  brought  the  enemy 
nearer  and  nearer. 

'  Ho  !  hearkne  to  the  herald  !  Frothi,  Frothi,  the 


94  Wonderful  Stories. 

town  is  on  fire.  The  palaces  will  soon  be  ruined 
heaps.  Grind,  Menia,  ever  more  swiftly,  until  we 
grind  death  to  Frothi.' 

And  Menia  and  Fenia  ground  and  ground  till 
Mysingr  and  his  followers  landed  from  the  ships. 
They  ground  until  they  had  reached  the  palace. 

'  To  arms,  to  arms,'  shouted  the  warders,  but  it 
was  too  late.  The  Gotlanders  armed  themselves ; 
but  who  could  stand  against  the  army  that  the 
slave  women  were  grinding  against  them  ? 

Not  long  did  the  struggle  last.  Frothi  and  his 
Gotlanders  fought  bravely,  but  the  sea-king  and 
his  allies  were  mightier,  for  the  giantesses  were  in 
giant  mood,  and  turned  the  handle  faster  and 
faster,  until  down  fell  the  quern  stones.  Then 
sank  Frothi  pierced  with  wounds,  and  the  fight 
was  over.  The  army  that  Menia  and  Fenia  had 
ground  to  help  Mysingr  vanished ;  and  Mysingr 
and  his  men  alone  were  left  conquerors  on  the 
bloody  field. 

They  loaded  their  ships  with  treasure,  and 
Mysingr  took  with  him  Menia,  Fenia,  and  the 
quern  stones. 

But,  alas!  Mysingr  was  no  wiser  than  King 
Frothi  had  been. 


The  Wonderful  Quern  Stones.         95 

Gold,  however,  was  not  his  first  thought ;  he  had 
enough  of  that,  but  he  wanted  something  else 
that  just  then  was  more  to  him  than  gold. 

There  was  no  salt  on  board  the  sea-king's 
vessels  ;  so  he  said,  '  Grind  salt.' 

And  Menia  and  Fenia  ground  salt  for  Mysingr. 

At  midnight  they  asked  if  they  had  ground 
enough. 

And  Mysingr  bade  them  grind  on. 

And  so  they  ground  and  ground  until  the  ship 
was  so  heavy  with  salt  that  it  sank,  and  the  sea- 
king  and  all  his  men  were  drowned. 

Where  the  quern  stones  went  down  there  is  to 
this  day  a  great  whirlpool,  and  the  waters  of  the 
sea  have  been  salt  ever  since. 


96  Wonderful  Stories. 


VII. 

THORWALD'S  BRIDAL. 

DESOLATE  is  the  cold  dark  north,  with  its  ice-walls 
and  its  ice-citadels  rising  amidst  everlasting  snows. 

Well  does  the  north  king  guard  his  fortress,  so 
that  few  dare  approach  it,  for  he  breathes  death  on 
those  who  rashly  seek  to  do  battle  with  him,  and 
bleached  bones  show  to  them  the  fate  of  those  who 
have  gone  before. 

The  Elivagi  issuing  from  dreary  Niflheim  have 
thrown  up  their  waters  in  rimy  spray,  which  has 
frozen  into  fantastic  shapes,  and  Ginnungagap, 
grown  wider  and  wider,  sends  forth  a  death-blast  to 
mortal  men. 

Dreary  is  the  north,  what  beauty  is  to  be  seen  in 
it  ?  The  tall  pine  trees  with  their  thick  bristling 
crowns  wave  solemnly  and  shadow  the  deep  lakes 
and  the  steep  hill-sides,  but  even  they  draw  not 
nigh  to  the  ice-palace  where  the  grey  old  monarch, 
with  frosty  beard  and  crown  of  icicles,  sits  on  his 


Thorwald's  Bridal 


97 


awful  throne.  Like  a  statue,  he  sits  with  his  white  - 
robed  menials,  who  stand  spell-bound  like  mourn- 
ful ghosts,  nor  stir  till,  at  the  raising  of  his  sceptre, 
they  flee  forth  to  plant  the  north  king's  banner  in 
sunnier  lands. 

Southward,  southward,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
beauty  and  to  die — for  the  sun-god  fights  for  the 
fairer  lands,  and  the  ice-clad  army  with  their  hail- 
slings  and  their  frosted  spears,  fades  away  as  his 
great  flaming  sword  leaps  from  its  scabbard.  So 
they  perish,  but  they  have  seen  before  they  die  the 
soul-entrancing  beauty  which  they  dreamed  of  in 
their  dreams. 

Yet  there  is  beauty  in  the  rugged  north,  when 
Night  drives  through  the  dark  blue  vault  with  her 
black  courser,  and  the  golden  stars  shine  out  as 
lamps  along  her  heavenly  path.  Around  her  flash, 
in  bars  of  brilliant  radiance,  fair  lights  that,  stream- 
ing athwart  the  northern  skies,  light  up  the  masses 
of  ice  which  the  Elivagi  roll  up  from  Niflheim. 

And  there  is  beauty  in  the  north  when  the  beauti- 
ful Day  wakes  up  from  peaceful  slumbers  in  his 
mother's  arms,  and  gaily  springs  into  his  glittering 
chariot.  Lightly  he  seizes  the  reins,  and  at  his 
touch,  Skinfaxi  paws  the  air  and  shakes  his  glowing 
H 


98  Wonderful  Stories. 

mane,  and  sparks  of  dazzling  light  float  around,  and 
the  heavens  are  lit  up  with  their  splendour.  .  The 
stars  hide  their  heads,  and  the  moon  turns  pale,  and 
the  ice-rocks  glitter  in  a  brighter  and  fresher  light. 
And  if  for  a  moment  the  lovely  bridge  should 
be  seen  that  stretches  its  gem-studded  archway 
from  earth  to  heaven,  the  blue  and  rose-stained 
crystal  peaks  quiver  with  rays  of  amethyst  and 
emerald. 

No  mortal  hath  yet  found  the  spot  on  earth 
whence  the  arch  springs,  else  would  he  find  a 
treasure  hidden  by  the  gods  of  old,  that  would 
make  him  rich  beyond  his  fellows,  and  wiser  too, 
for  when  the  foundations  of  the  bridge  were  laid, 
Odin,  the  All  Father,  whispered  words  of  deep  wis- 
dom into  the  earth,  that  have  lain  buried  there  for 
long  ages. 

And  when  this  corner  stone  of  Bifrost  is  found, 
those  words  shall  issue  forth  like  sweet-toned  music, 
and  fill  the  soul  of  the  finder  with  the  wisdom  of 
the  gods ;  and  in  his  heart  shall  rise  such  undreamed- 
of sense  of  bliss,  that  he  will  never  care  to  leave 
the  earth. 

So  ran  the  old  tale,  and  Thorwald  believed  in  it, 
and  many  an  hour  and  many  a  day  he  spent  in 


Thorwald's  Bridal.  99 

searching  for  the  stone  that  would  bring  not  only 
wealth,  but  happiness  and  wisdom,  and  open  to 
him  the  pathway  of  the  gods.  For  Thonvald's 
heart  told  him  that  there  were  higher  things  than 
those  on  earth.  A  voice  was  ever  crying,  'seek, 
seek,'  and  his  heart-strings  vibrated  to  the  sound. 

He  sought  amidst  Norwegian  Fjelds,  for  there 
have  the  Jotuns  left  their  traces,  and  he  thought 
that  perchance  amongst  the  huge  boulders  the  Asi 
might  have  laid  the  corner-stone  of  Bifrost. 

Often  did  he  wander  for  days  without  catching 
a  glimpse  of  its  brilliant  colours  ;  then  all  at  once 
some  distant  spot  would  be  bathed  in  its  rays,  and 
he  would  dart  forward,  hoping  to  find,  amidst  blue 
and  crimson  flowers,  that  which  he  sought.  But 
as  he  drew  near,  the  blue  and  crimson  blossoms  had 
paled  into  the  purest  white,  and  the  rainbow  was 
dying  away  behind  the  clouds. 

Then  would  wild  bursts  of  unearthly  laughter 
issue  from  the  pine-grove,  but  no  one  was  in  sight. 
Louder  and  shriller  the  laughter  resounded,  and 
Thorwald  knew  that  it  was  the  Skogsra  or  wood- 
spirit,  and  he  must  take  heed  how  he  answered  it 

Yet  he  was  undaunted,  and  each  fresh  disap- 
pointment seemed  but  to  give  him  more  strength, 


ioo  Wonderful  Stories. 

and  still  his  song  breathed,  '  Hope !  hope ! ' 
The  world  was  wide  before  him,  life  was  in  its 
spring-tide,  the  sun  was  riding  high  in  the  glorious 
noon,  and  time  spread  out  a  never-ending  stream 
that  glided  at  his  feet.  And  as  he  went  his  way, 
the  forest  rang  with  echoes  of  his  sweet  spirit-stir- 
ring voice.  The  branches  waved  as  if  to  cheer  him 
on  his  way,  and  the  birds  answered  the  burden  of 
his  song,  and  soared  aloft  as  though  luring  him  to 
follow  them  into  the  calm  blue  heights  above. 

And  Thonvald's  soul  fled  after  them,  and  rose 
higher  and  higher  than  their  flight.  Soon  would 
he  have  gained  the  realms  of  the  gods,  and  the  fair 
halls  of  Gimli  be  open  to  him. 

'  Hope,  hope/  he  sang,  '  art  thou  the  bridge  that 
bears  man  up  to  heaven  ? ' 

Onward  and  ever  onward  he  travelled,  and  turn- 
ing his  back  on  the  cold  north,  he  wended  south- 
ward like  the  north  king's  army,  trusting  to  find  in 
more  genial  lands  the  treasure  which  he  sought. 

Suddenly,  a  jagged  bough  shot  out  before  him, 
that  seemed  with  straggling  fingers  to  point  the 
way  which  he  should  take.  So  at  least  Thorwald 
thought,  and  he  went  musing  on. 

He  had  not  gone  far,  before  he  heard  a  low  song 


Thorwald' s  Bridal.  101 

that  came  stealing  through  the  trees  like  the  whisper 
of  the  softest  summer  breeze,  so  sweet,  so  low,  that 
he  paused,  fearful  lest  his  foot-fall  might  disturb  it. 
And  as  he  listened,  the  sad  notes  filled  his  heart 
with  pity,  and  a  gentle  sadness  stole  over  him. 

He  gave  a  sigh ;  but  the  voice  did  not  cease,  and 
Thorwald  stole  breathlessly  towards  the  singer,  and 
forgot  the  bridge  Bifrost  in  the  spell  that  was  cast 
over  him.  He  could  now  hear  the  words  distinctly, 

'  No  hope,  no  hope, 
Lost,  lost,  for  evermore  ; 
Barred  is  the  golden  door, 
Closed  is  the  golden  gate. 
Lost,  lost— too  late,  too  late  ! 
There  is  no  path  to  heaven 
For  us  to  tread  ; 
There  is  no  quiet  grave, 
No  silent  bed 

Wherein  to  lie  at  rest,  for  rest  hath  fled  ; 
Lost,  lost — too  late,  too  late ! ' 

And  as  the  last  words  died  away,  they  were 
followed  by  deep  sobs,  and  Thorwald,  going  nearer, 
saw  a  fair  maiden  with  her  arms  clasped  round 
the  trunk  of  a  moss-grown  pine,  weeping  bitterly. 

Thorwald  was  greatly  moved  at  her  grief,  and  as 
he  gazed  upon  her,  the  bow  shone  out  and  its 
glorious  rays  fell  upon  the  figure  of  the  kneeling 
maiden. 


i  o 2  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  Bifrost,  Bifrost ! '  murmured  Thonvald, '  thou  art 
found/  and  he  sprang  forward  to  mark  the  spot ; 
but  when  he  reached  it  there  was  no  trace  of  the 
rainbow  left,  and  he  clasped  the  weeping  damsel  in 
his  arms. 

She  rose,  and  looked  in  wonderment  on  Thor- 
wald.  The  rainbow  had  left  its  violet  light  in  her 
eyes,  and  its  ruby  dye  yet  flushed  her  cheek  and 
lips.  Her  waving  hair  fell  like  a  veil  around  her, 
as  with  crossed  arms  she  stood  mute  before  him. 

Then  there  sprang  up  in  Thorwald's  heart  a 
feeling  he  had  never  known  before,  sweeter  than 
all  the  dreams  of  his  soul ;  and  he  thought  that 
perchance  he  had  found  the  secret  of  all  wisdom 
that  Odin  had  whispered  into  the  earth  —  the 
precious  stone  from  which  upstarted  the  pathway 
to  heaven. 

It  seemed  to  him  as  though  a  fountain  of  joy  had 
burst  forth  and  was  overflowing  the  world,  whilst 
above  him  floated  clouds  of  incense  \vhose  edges 
were  gilded  with  the  rays  of  a  newly  risen-sun,  and 
the  sun's  name  was  Love. 

He  turned  to  the  maiden:  'And  art  thou  also 
seeking  the  road  to  heaven  ? '  he  asked. 

Then  the  maiden's  tears  fell  fast,  and  she  an- 


Tkorwald's  Bridal.  103 

swered  :  '  The  gate  is  closed  upon  us,  we  cannot 
enter/ 

'  Nay,'  replied  Thorwald,  '  wilt  thou  not  let  me 
lead  thee  thither  ?  I  have  found  the  corner-stone, 
and  we  will  tread  the  pathway  of  the  gods  together.' 

Then  she  arose,  and  casting  her  silver  harp  into 
the  stream,  she  said  :  '  Go,  bear  the  tidings  of 
my  happiness  to  my  kindred.  Never  again  shall 
my  touch  awake  thy  mournful  strains.  A  golden- 
stringed  harp  shall  be  mine,  and  wood  and  hill  shall 
echo  to  my  song  of  rejoicing.' 

And  Huldra  took  Thorwald's  hand  and  kissed  it. 
Now  should  she  become  one  of  the  mortal  race. 

'  We  will  go  home,'  said  Thorwald. 

And  the  words  sank  into  the  maiden's  heart, 
filling  it  with  deep  peace.  .... 

'  I  have  found  the  gate  of  heaven,'  said  Thorwald 
to  his  mother ;  '  Love  can  carry  the  human  soul 
high  above  the  world,  until  it  finds  a  dwelling-place 
in  Gladsheim,  a  home  among  the  gods.' 

The  mother  smiled  sadly,  for  she  had  had  her 
dream  in  youth,  but  it  had  vanished,  and  she  had 
not  yet  reached  heaven.  Nevertheless,  she  an- 
swered gently,  '  Be  it  so,  my  son,'  for  she  hoped  a 


IO4  Wonderful  Stories. 

better  lot  might  be  his,  and  she  loved  Huldra  for 
Thorwald's  sake,  and  entered  into  his  dreams. 

The  wedding  feast  was  made  ready  and  the 
guests  were  bidden,  and  Huldra  prayed  that  she 
might  send  for  some  of  her  own  people  to  be 
present  at  her  marriage. 

'  They  are  not  far  off,'  she  said,  '  the  harp  bore 
a  message  to  them.'  And  so  the  shapely  Trolls 
mingled  with  the  wedding  guests,  but  none  knew 
them  from  human  beings  save  Thorwald  and  Huldra. 
And  they  ate  of  the  feast  and  joined  in  the 
dance,  and  drank  health  and  happiness  to  the  bride 
and  bridegroom.  And  Thorwald's  cup  of  joy  was 
overflowing,  and  he  stepped  aside  from  the  gay 
throng  to  dwell  for  a  moment  in  silent  thankfulness 
upon  his  happiness. 

He  threw  himself  upon  the  mossy  turf,  smooth 
as  velvet,  and  looking  up  into  the  skies,  he  saw  the 
shadowy  bridge  far,  far  away,  floating  in  mid  air ; 
and  as  he  cast  down  his  dazzled  eyes,  lo !  the 
bright-coloured  beams  played  on  a  mound  of  earth 
close  to  the  spot  whereon  he  rested. 

Perchance  it  was  the  treasure-mound  wherein 
lay  the  coffer  hidden  by  the  gods,  the  golden 
treasure ! 


Thorwald's  Bridal.  105 

'  O  Thonvald  !  hast  thou  not  enough  already  ? ' 

Not  for  himself;  he  wished  no  greater  treasure 
for  himself  than  that  which  he  already  had,  but  who 
knew  what  rare- fashioned  jewels  might  be  buried 
there  which  would  gladden  the  eyes  of  Huldra  ? 

And  he  thrust  his  sword  deep  into  the  mound. 

It  struck  against  something  hard,  and  Thonvald 
staggered  back  as  though  he  had  received  a  blow, 
but  before  he  had  time  to  recover  from  it,  he  found 
himself  seated  at  a  festive  board,  around  which  tiny 
elves  were  holding  uproarious  revelry.  And  one 
advancing  with  a  goblet,  begged  Thonvald  to  drink 
to  the  health  of  the  Elfin-king  and  queen  before  he 
went  back  to  his  own  bridal  feast.  So  Thonvald 
drained  the  cup,  and  would  have  returned  it  to  the 
hand  of  the  elf  who  brought  it ;  but  the  elfin  train 
had  vanished,  and  he  found  himself  stretched  on 
the  mossy  turf. 

The  mound  had  disappeared,  and  he  turned  his 
face  in  wonder  towards  the  place  where  he  had  left 
his  bride.  But  everything  seemed  strange  to  him  : 
there  were  no  signs  of  feasting ;  no  wedding 
guests ;  no  bride ;  but  all  was  silent  The  old 
grey  tower  that  he  called  home  was  an  ivy-grown 
ruin ;  people  whose  faces  he  knew  not  were 


io6  Woitderful  Stories. 

wandering  hither  and  thither,  and  seemed  sur- 
prised to  see  a  knight  in  rich  costume  roaming 
through  the  woods  and  fields. 

Thorwald  was  as  one  stunned.  What  had 
happened  ?  He  had  left  his  home  but  a  moment 
since.  How,  then,  should  it  be  thus  changed  ? 

He  stopped  an  aged  peasant  woman.  '  Where 
are  the  bridal  guests  that  feasted  here  but  a  moment 
ago  ? '  he  asked. 

But  the  old  crone  made  no  answer,  she  only 
stared  at  him  in  amazement. 

'  I  am  the  bridegroom,  where  is  my  bride,  where 
is  Huldra  ? ' 

Then  the  old  crone  started,  for  she  thought  of 
a  strange  story  of  a  wedding  that  had  taken  place 
in  her  grandmother's  days,  and  that  she  had  often 
heard  of  when  a  little  child. 

'  There  has  been  no  bride  called  Huldra  in  these 
parts,'  she  said, '  since  Thorwald  the  bard  vanished  at 
his  marriage  feast ;  but  that  is  a  hundred  years  ago.' 

A  hundred  years  !  And  the  heart  of  Thorwald 
sank  within  him. 

*  Tell  me  the  story.' 

Then  the  crone  began  :  '  More  than  a  hundred 
years  ago,  there  lived  a  strange  poet  who  dreamed 


Thorwald' s  Bridal.  107 

that  he  might  find  the  path  that  led  from  earth  to 
heaven.  He  journeyed  forth ' 

But  here  Thorwald  stopped  her :  '  Nay,  nay, 
good  mother,'  quoth  he,  '  I  know  all  that,  tell  me 
of  the  wedding  feast,  the  bride ' 

And  the  old  woman  went  on :  '  The  wedding 
guests  were  bidden  to  the  feast ' 

But  again  Thorwald  hurriedly  broke  in  on  her 
words. 

'  Tell  me  how  the  bridegroom  vanished,'  he 
asked. 

'  The  bridegroom  was  missed  from  the  feast  ;  far 
and  near,  high  and  low,  they  sought  him,  but  he 
could  nowhere  be  found.  Some  said  that  he  was 
carried  away  by  the  Trolls ;  others  that  he  had 
found  the  spot  where  Bifrost  touches  the  earth,  and 
that  he  had  crossed  it  and  gained  the  regions  of 
the  gods,  and  that  there  in  the  halls  of  Gimli  he 
had  forgotten  his  bride.  But  how  it  was  none  ever 
knew.  The  bride  was  wild  with  grief,  and  sought 
after  Thorwald  twenty  days  and  nights  and  never 
rested,  and  when  she  came  to  the  place  where  two 
streams  meet,  and  where,  as  the  story  goes,  she  had 
thrown  her  silver  harp  away  when  she  first  met  with 
Thorwald,  she  sank  down  under  a  stately  pine  tree. 


io8  Wonderful  Stories. 

There  she  died ;  and  there  she  is  buried.  Her  last 
words  were  :  '  Hope  !  hope  !  O  Thorwald  !  thou 
hast  given  me  heaven.' 

Thorwald's  heart  stood  still,  his  dream  of  bliss 
was  shattered,  and  the  world  grew  dark.  The 
treasure,  if  indeed  he  had  found  it,  had  been 
snatched  away,  to  show  him  that  on  earth  is  no 
undying  happiness.  His  high  hopes  died  away,  he 
turned  from  the  wondering  crone,  and  sought  the 
grave  of  Huldra.  And  there,  in  his  bitter  grief,  he 
wept  and  called  aloud  :  '  O  Huldra  !  Huldra  !' 

And  through  the  pine-grove  came  an  echo  back, 
clear  and  sweet,  unlike  an  earthly  voice,  and  it 
answered:  'Huldra!  Huldra!' 

It  sounded  so  far  off  that  Thonvald  thought  that 
a  voice  had  spoken  to  him  from  heaven. 

And  as  he  gazed  upward  Bifrost  once  more 
shone  out,  brighter  and  more  beautiful  than  ever. 
Thonvald  could  see  clearly  now  its  golden  arches 
dipping  into  a  sea  of  blue,  and  its  stones  of  brilliant 
hues  flashing  in  the  sunlight.  It  rested  at  his  feet, 
then  far  away  it  stretched  till  it  was  lost  in  heaven, 
and  where  it  touched  the  clouds  he  saw  the  form  of 
his  beloved  Huldra.  A  sparkling  crown  was  on 
her  brow,  she  smiled  lovingly  and  stretched  out 


Thorwald' s  Bridal.  109 

her  arms  towards  him.  And  as  she  smiled,  he 
heard  a  solemn  whisper  issue  from  the  ground : 
'  Through  death  alone  can  mortals  gain  the  joy 
that  shall  know  no  end.' 

Perhaps  this  was  the  secret  that  Odin  had  buried 
long  since  in  the  earth. 

The  body  of  Thorwald  was  never  found.  The 
peasants  believe  that  unseen  hands  laid  him  in 
the  grave  beside  Huldra,  and  that  the  course  of 
the  river  was  changed  so  that  their  resting-place 
might  never  be  known. 

Yet  if  some  poet-dreamer  should  find  the  spot 
where  the  bright  rainbow  takes  root  in  the  earth, 
he  may  rest  assured  that  he  has  found  the  grave  of 
Thorwald  and  his  bride. 


1 10  Wonderful  Stories. 


VIII. 
CHRISTIN'S   TROUBLE. 

THERE  was  once  a  very  beautiful  maiden  whose 
name  was  Christin,  and  she  was  betrothed  to  a 
noble  knight. 

Christin  had  long  yellow  locks,  and  when  the 
sun  shone  upon  them  they  glittered  so  brightly 
that  one  might  almost  believe  they  were  threads  of 
gold.  But  when  Sir  Peter  stroked  little  Christin's 
shining  hair  he  knew  that  no  gold  was  ever  half  so 
soft. 

Sir  Peter  was  a  very  valiant  knight  and  little 
Christin  loved  him  with  all  her  heart,  and  as  he 
also  loved  her,  it  would  seem  that  there  was  no 
cause  for  her  to  be  unhappy.  Nevertheless  she 
was  unhappy,  and  she  wept  so  sorely  that  Sir 
Peter  was  much  grieved,  and  tried  to  find  out  what 
was  the  reason  of  her  tears. 

'  My  heart's  dear,'  said  Sir  Peter,  '  tell  me  what 
hath  vexed  thee.' 

But  Christin's  sobs  prevented  her  from  replying ; 


Ckristiris  Trouble.  1 1 1 

she  tried  to  speak,  but  the  words  died  away  upon 
her  lips. 

Now  it  happened  that  Sir  Peter  had  been 
amusing  himself  in  the  courtyard,  and  he  thought 
that  this  might  in  some  way  have  annoyed  the 
maiden. 

'  Is  it  saddle  or  steed  that  does  not  please  thee  ?' 
he  asked. 

But  that  was  not  the  trouble. 

'Dost  thou  not  love  me?'  said  the  Knight. 
'Canst  thou  be  grieving  that  thou  art  to  be  my 
bride  ? ' 

'  Nay,  nay,'  replied  Christin  at  last,  '  it  is  not 
that  I  grieve  for.' 

'  Wherefore  then  dost  thou  weep,  since  to-day  is 
to  be  thy  wedding  day?' 

'Ah!'  answered  Christin,  'it  is  because  I  fear 
lest  what  was  said  when  I  was  a  child  should  come 
true  to-day.  It  was  ever  told  me  that  some  great 
evil  should  happen  to  me  on  my  wedding  day  ; 
and  now  I  tremble  as  I  think  of  passing  over  the 
waters  of  Ringfalla.  Two  of  my  sisters  were  lost 
in  its  deceitful  depths,  and  I  am  afraid  of  a  like 
fate  for  myself.  Alas,  alas!  these  yellow  locks  that 
you  prize  so  much  may  be  wet  beneath  the  cold 


ii2  Wonderful  Stories. 

waves  of  Ringfalla  ere  the  sun  goes  down.  I  see 
my  lost  sisters  ever  before  me,  and  they  beckon  to 
me  to  join  them  deep  down  below  the  flood.' 

Then  Sir  Peter  tried  to  comfort  Christin,  and  he 
bade  her  take  courage,  for  everything  should  be 
done  to  prevent  any  harm  from  happening  to  her. 
And,  as  the  greatest  safeguard  he  could  think  of, 
he  promised  that  the  horse  she  rode  should  be 
shod  with  golden  shoes  nailed  on  with  golden  nails, 
so  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  it  to  stumble  or 
meet  with  any  mishap. 

'  And  besides  that,'  he  added,  '  you  shall  be  well 
guarded,  little  Christin,  for  twelve  of  my  courtiers 
shall  ride  before  you,  and  twelve  at  either  side,  so 
that  you  need  have  no  cause  for  fear.' 

Still  Christin  wept  bitterly.  P.erhaps  she  had 
not  so  much  faith  in  golden  shoes  as  other  people 
had.  But  if  she  did  not  trust  much  in  the  shoes, 
perhaps  she  had  some  confidence  when  she  saw 
the  brave  train  of  courtiers  who  were  to  attend  her. 
Surely  they  would  guard  her  in  case  of  danger, 
and  even  if  she  fell  into  the  waters  of  Ringfalla, 
there  were  arms  strong  enough  to  save  her. 

A  gallant  train  they  were,  in  their  silks  and 
velvets  and  holiday  plumes,  and  their  scabbards 


Christin  s  Trouble.  113 

gleamed  with  costly  gems,  and  gay  were  the  trap- 
pings of  the  milk-white  palfrey  that  Christin  was 
to  ride.  The  saddle-cloth  was  of  purple  fringed 
with  gold,  and  as  the  palfrey  pawed  the  ground  its 
golden  shoes  flashed  like  fire. 

Christin  began  to  forget  her  troubles  at  the 
sight  of  the  splendour  before  her.  She  dried  her 
tears,  and  the  wedding  train  went  merrily  onward. 

They  rode  and  rode  until  the  forest  of  Ringfalla 
came  in  sight,  and  the  green  boughs  waved  as 
though  they  would  welcome  the  bride. 

They  rode  on  and  on  until  they  reached  the 
forest  and  found  themselves  in  its  pleasant  shade. 
Wide  spread  the  branched  ceiling  above  them,  and 
the  birds  twittered  a  song  of  greeting.  The  sun 
peeped  through  the  leafy  archways,  and  sent  slant- 
ing rays  of  light  that  flickered  on  the  pathway  and 
rested  on  the  edges  of  the  fragrant  blossoms.  It 
was  very  beautiful,  so  beautiful  that  Christin's 
sorrow  was  quite  hushed,  and  she  gazed  in  delight 
through  the  tall  ferns,  and  tangled  bushes,  and 
slender  tree  stems  until  they  became  indistinct  in 
the  distance ;  or  she  turned  her  eyes  upward 
through  the  twining  tracery  of  the  branches,  and 
I 


1 14  Wonderful  Stories. 

caught  a  glimpse  of  the  summer  sky  that  seemed 
like  an  arch  of  sapphire. 

Meanwhile  the  courtiers  were  attracted  by  a 
very  different  sight,  and  truly  it  was  something 
marvellous  that  they  beheld. 

A  deer  with  golden  horns.  Such  a  deer  had 
never  been  seen  before,  so  slender,  so  graceful, 
with  eyes  that  shone  like  diamonds,  and  above 
alt,  with  golden  horns.  No  wonder  they  should 
look  upon  it  as  a  prize.  A  stag's  head  with 
golden  horns  would  be  a  trophy  worth  having. 
It  was  too  great  a  temptation  for  the  courtiers 
to  resist. 

So  the  twelve  courtiers  in  front,  and  the  twelve 
on  either  side,  and  we  are  not  told  how  many 
more,  fell  to  hunting  the  wonderful  deer. 

And  poor  little  Christin  was  left  almost  alone, 
there  was  no  one  with  her  but  Sir  Peter.  The 
waters  of  Ringfalla  were  close  at  hand,  and  in 
another  minute  she  would  have  to  pass  over  the 
bridge  she  so  much  dreaded  with  nothing  to  trust 
to  but  her  horse's  golden  shoes. 

Doubtless  she  felt  very  much  frightened,  but 
there  was  no  help  for  it,  she  must  cross  the  bridge 
on  the  way  to  the  church. 


Christiris  Trouble.  1 1 5 

Go  on,  good  steed  ;  may  thy  golden  shoes  enable 
thee  to  carry  little  Christin  over  in  safety ! 

Alas  !  alas  !  In  spite  of  the  golden  shoes,  the 
palfrey  stumbled,  and  little  Christin  was  thrown 
into  the  calm,  still  waters. 

Down,  down  she  sank,  deep  down  ;  and  before 
Sir  Peter  had  even  time  to  dismount  she  was  no 
longer  to  be  seen. 

He  would  have  plunged  in  to  save  her ;  but  this 
he  knew  would  be  of  no  avail,  and  they  would  both 
perish  in  Ringfalla's  flood. 

He  turned,  therefore,  to  his  little  footpage. 
'  Go  swiftly,'  quoth  he,  '  and  bring  me  my  golden 
harp.' 

And  the  footpage  mounted  his  master's  charger 
and  away  he  rode  full  fleetly. 

It  seemed  an  age  to  Sir  Peter  till  the  page 
returned,  but  he  came  at  last  bearing  the  harp 
with  him. 

Now  it  may  be  asked,  of  what  use  can  a  harp  be 
to  drowning  people  ? 

It  would  be  none  at  all  now-a-days,  but  then 
these  are  not  the  days  of  wonders.  Those  old 
fairy  times  have  passed  away,  and  there  is  no  trace 
of  them  left  upon  the  earth. 


1 1 6  Wonderful  Stories. 

Then,  too,  it  may  be  said:  'Surely  Christin 
must  be  dead  by  this  time,  she  has  been  so  long 
under  the  water.' 

Ah !  but  she  has  not  been  drowning ;  she  has 
been  visiting  a  mighty  palace  underneath  the 
waves  of  Ringfalla,  and  has  seen  sights  of  which 
mortals  have  never  dreamed, — strange  water-plants 
whose  flowers  have  petals  of  pure  crystal,  and 
whose  long  leaves  are  like  bands  of  soft  green 
velvet,  twisting  round  the  pillars  of  the  palace. 
And  great  shining  pebbles  of  blue,  and  green, 
and  crimson  studding  the  yellow  sand.  And 
curious  creatures  of  brilliant  hues,  of  every  shape 
and  size,  crawling,  or  swimming,  or  darting 
hither  and  thither  on  delicate  wing-like  fins, 
so  that  one  might  suppose  them  to  be  water- 
butterflies. 

And  Christin  knows  that  in  this  river-palace  she 
must  live  for  ever  if  Sir  Peter  should  not  be  able 
to  win  her  back  from  the  ugly  sprite  who  has 
made  her  his  captive  as  he  did  her  two  sisters 
long  ago. 

And  whilst  she  is  thinking  of  all  this,  and  the 
ugly  sprite  is  sitting  grinning  at  her,  suddenly  a 
sound  so  soft  and  beautiful  comes  through  the 


CHRISTIN'S    TROUBLE. 
' As  tlie  ugly  sprite  heard  it  he  sprang  ashore'  (p.  117}. 


Christiris  Trouble.  117 

waters  that  the  ugly  sprite  leaves  off  grinning  and 
listens  to  it  attentively. 

It  is  Sir  Peter  striking  the  first  chord  on  his  harp. 

And  the  ugly  sprite,  turning  away  from  Christin, 
rose  up  to  the  top  of  the  flood,  and  there  he  sat 
upon  a  wave  and  laughed. 

Sir  Peter  spoke  no  word,  but  he  struck  the  harp 
a  second  time. 

And  a  sweet  murmuring  note  stole  over  the 
waters,  and  the  waves  carried  it  on  and  on  until  it 
died  away  for  ever. 

And  as  the  ugly  sprite  heard  it  he  sprang 
ashore,  and,  throwing  himself  on  the  mossy  turf, 
he  wept  aloud. 

Still  Sir  Peter  spoke  never  a  word,  but  struck 
his  harp  for  the  third  time. 

And  a  soft  white  arm  was  raised  above  the 
stream.  It  was  little  Christin's  arm. 

But  Sir  Peter  spake  never  a  word,  but  still  went 
on  playing. 

Presently  Christin  lifted  her  head  above  the 
water  and  looked  at  him. 

Of  course  Sir  Peter  was  overjoyed,  but  he  did 
not  let  his  joy  run  away  with  his  good  sense.  He 
knew  that  what  had  come  to  pass  was  all  owing  to 


1 1 8  Wonderful  Stories. 

the  golden  harp,  and  he  determined,  as  it  had  been 
successful  so  far,  to  give  it  a  fair  trial. 

This  was  a  wise  resolve  on  his  part,  for,  aided  by 
the  wonderful  music,  Christin  had  grasped  some 
floating  lilies  which  floated  her  close  up  to  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  she  scrambled  through  the 
rushes  and  crept  close  to  Sir  Peter. 

The  beautiful  music  had  saved  her ! 

Now  during  this  time  the  ugly  sprite  had  been 
overwhelmed  by  repentant  feelings,  and  this  was 
what  came  of  it 

He  suddenly  plunged  into  the  river  again,  and  in 
another  moment  Sir  Peter  and  Christin  saw  him 
rising  to  the  surface  with  two  fair  maidens  whom 
Christin  knew  at  once  to  be  her  sisters. 

She  sprang  forward  to  meet  them,  but  Sir  Peter 
still  went  on  playing,  for  perchance  the  ugly  sprite 
might  have  changed  his  mind  if  the  music  had 
ceased. 

And  so  Christin  and  her  sisters  were  brought 
back  from  the  waters  of  Ringfalla  through  the 
sounds  of  a  golden  harp. 

The  harp  was  of  more  use  than  the  golden 
shoes ! 

Christin's    trouble    was    over.       The    train    of 


Christiris  Trouble.  1 1 9 

courtiers  rejoined  Sir  Peter  again,  and  they  all 
went  merrily  on  to  the  church,  where  Christin  and 
Sir  Peter  were  married. 

Doubtless  the  lost  sisters  acted  as  bridesmaids, 
and  afterwards  married  handsome  knights,  with 
whom  they  lived  as  happily  for  ever  after  as 
Christin  did  with  Sir  Peter. 


1 20  Wonderful  Stories. 


IX. 
HO  W  THE    WOLF  FENRIS    WAS  CHAINED. 

IN  the  times  when  Odin  and  Thor  ruled  in  Asgard 
there  were  giants  and  monsters  of  all  sorts,  and 
some  of  the  evil  gods  had  monsters  for  children. 

So  it  was  with  Loki,  who  had  married  Signe,  the 
daughter  of  one  of  the  Jotuns  or  giants.  Two  of 
his  children  were  Jormungand,  the  great  serpent, 
and  the  wolf  Fenris  ;  the  third  was  a  daughter 
named  Hela,  who,  though  she  was  not  a  monster, 
was  nevertheless  very  terrible  to  look  upon.  They 
were  all  born  in  Jotunheim,  where  they  lived  for 
some  time  before  the  Asi  heard  anything  about 
them. 

When  at  length  the  tidings  that  they  lived 
reached  the  ears  of  Odin,  he  felt  very  uneasy,  as 
did  the  Asi  generally,  for  they  called  to  mind 
certain  old  prophecies,  which  said  that  these 
monsters  should  arise,  and  in  due  time  bring  great 
evils  both  upon  gods  and  men.  Nay,  it  was  even 
said  that  the  wolf  Fenris  should  devour  Odin  him- 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  Chained.    121 

self.  Well,  therefore,  might  Odin  wish  that  some- 
thing should  at  once  be  done  to  curb  the  growing 
power  of  Loki's  offspring.  At  the  same  time  he 
feared  to  offend  Loki,  who  was  his  foster-brother. 
He  had  never  forgotten  the  days  of  their  child- 
hood, and  would  never  hold  a  feast  unless  Loki 
were  present. 

However,  he  called  together  a  council  of  the 
Asi,  and  at  length  it  was  agreed  that  the  three 
children  should  be  brought  from  Jotunheim  to 
some  place  where  they  might  be  more  within  his 
power. 

If  Odin  could  have  slain  them  at  once,  he 
would  doubtless  have  been  well  pleased  to  do  so  ; 
but  this  was  not  in  his  power.  He  was  only  able 
to  command  them,  and  they  were  bound  to  obey 
him  as  the  greatest  of  the  gods. 

So  the  summons  went  forth,  and  on  a  given  day 
Loki,  with  Hela,  Fenris,  and  Jormungand  arrived  at 
the  palace  where  Odin  awaited  them,  seated  upon 
his  throne,  and  surrounded  by  the  Asi  in  their 
glittering  array. 

Loki  certainly  was  not  dazzled  by  the  splendour 
of  the  gods,  he  was  used  to  such  displays  among 
them.  Neither  did  it  seem  in  any  way  to 


122  Wonderful  Stories. 

move  his  offspring,  who  drew  near  to  the  steps  of 
the  throne  without  looking  either  to  the  right  or 
to  the  left. 

Hela  was  a  little  in  front.  Her  face  was  grim 
and  fierce;  half  her  body  was  black,  half  flesh 
colour.  So  terrible  was  she  to  look  at,  that  a 
shudder  ran  through  the  whole  assembly  as  they 
gazed  upon  her  awful  form. 

'  It  is  clear  that  she  belongs  not  to  us/  said  one 
of  the  Asi. 

And  Hela  at  the  words  half  drew  the  knife  out 
of  her  belt,  as  though  she  would  strike  at  the 
speaker. 

But  Odin  said,  '  Nay,  over  the  Asi  thou  shalt 
have  no  power.  In  Midgard,  where  men  dwell, 
shalt  thou  be  feared,  and  thy  rule  shall  be  over 
those  of  human  race.  Sorrowfully  shall  they  own 
thee  as  a  sovereign,  from  whose  commands  there  is 
no  appeal.  Over  them  shalt  thou  be  queen,  and 
the  greatest  of  kings  shall  stand  in  awe  of  thee. 
Go  forth,  and  from  the  kingdom  I  will  give  thee 
send  forth  thy  decrees  to  the  children  of  men.' 

Then  Odin  gave  to  Hela  a  dreary  kingdom  in 
Niflheim,  the  world  of  mist  that  is  older  than 
heaven  and  earth;  and  there  she  had  charge 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  Chained.    123 

over  nine  worlds,  and  had  a  spacious  palace  with 
many  halls,  but  all  of  them  were  dark  and  gloomy. 
4  The  dish  that  thou  shalt  eat  of  shall  be  hunger,' 
continued  Odin  ;  '  thy  bed  shall  be  the  bed  of  sick- 
ness, and  its  hangings  splendid  woe.  Only  the 
dead  shall  people  thy  kingdom,  and  the  light  of 
day  shall  be  shut  out  from  it  for  ever.' 

And  Hela,  having  heard  her  sentence,  turned 
away  with  a  stony  countenance.  It  mattered  little 
to  her  where  she  reigned,  so  long  as  she  could  smite 
and  slay. 

Then  Jormungand  drew  near.  The  slimy  mon- 
ster wound  and  twisted  his  huge  body  towards  the 
throne,  and  a  dull  lustre  shimmered  round  his  heavy 
scales.  The  gods  shrank  back,  for  malice  flashed 
from  his  cruel  eyes,  and  the  sound  of  his  hissing 
was  fearful  to  hear. 

But  Odin  bade  him  be  silent,  and  the  great 
serpent  lowered  his  head  and  crouched  at  the  king's 
feet. 

And  lo,  the  palace  walls  suddenly  opened,  and 
over  the  fair  gardens  of  Asgard  came  a  deep,  low 
murmur,  and  then  a  mist  appeared  in  the  distance, 
which,  as  the  Asi  gazed,  shaped  itself  into  the 
likeness  of  a  troubled  sea.  Louder  yet  grew  the 


124  Wonderful  Stories. 

murmur  until  it  changed  into  a  deep  roar,  and  the 
gods  all  wondered  what  was  coming  to  pass,  for  it 
seemed  as  though  the  great  ocean  that  surrounds 
all  lands  were  rushing  onward  and  would  overwhelm 
the  palace.  The  waves  reared  their  crests  higher 
and  higher,  and  nearer  and  nearer  rolled  the  waters. 

'  It  is  a  miracle  ! '  exclaimed  the  Asi. 

But  Odin  rose  and  seized  the  huge  serpent  and 
flung  him  into  the  advancing  tide. 

One  heavy  plunge,  one  blinding  sheet  of  mist 
that  hid  the  sunlight  and  the  bright  blue  sky,  one 
hideous  cry,  and  then  a  sudden  hush, — and  as  the 
white  mist  cleared  away,  behold  the  waters  had 
vanished,  and  naught  was  to  be  seen  but  the  fair 
land  of  Asgard. 

The  ocean  had  seized  its  prey,  and  in  its  depths 
the  serpent  was  to  grow  and  grow*until  at  length  he 
should  stretch  all  round  the  world,  and  lie  there 
harmless,  with  his  tail  in  his  mouth,  until  the  day 
of  Ragnarock  should  dawn. 

Then  only  Fenris  was  left  to  receive  the  sentence 
of  Odin. 

The  palace  walls  had  closed  again,  and  the 
king  of  heaven  bid  the  giant- wolf  draw  near. 

Never  had  the  Asi  seen  so  huge  a  beast  of 
the  kind  ;  he  was,  moreover,  sleek  and  well  shaped, 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  Chained.   125 

but  hi$  look  was  full  of  craft  and  cunning,  and  he 
came  stealthily  along  as  though  he  would  beg  a 
milder  fate  than  had  befallen  his  brother  Jormun- 
gand. 

The  gods  pressed  forward  to  gain  a  better  view 
of  the  well  formed  animal,  and  praised  his  shining 
coat  and  lithe  limbs.  What  would  be  his  doom  ? 
And  they  waited  anxiously  to  hear  what  Odin 
would  say. 

'  What  say  you  to  our  looking  after  Fenris  our- 
selves ? '  asked  the  king. 

Then  several  of  the  gods  stepped  forward,  and 
stroked  his  sleek  sides,  and  patted  his  comely 
head,  and  the  wolf  seemed  so  tame  that  Odin 
thought  that  now  at  least  there  was  nothing  to  be 
feared  from  him.  And  in  the  end  it  was  agreed 
that  Fenris  shcfuld  be  brought  up  among  the 
Asi. 

So  Fenris  was  lodged  in  Asgard ;  and  whilst  he 
was  quite  young  all  went  on  well,  though  some- 
times he  showed  signs  of  such  fierceness  that  none 
but  Tyr,  who  was  a  son  of  Odin,  and  one  of  the 
boldest  and  most  stout-hearted  among  the  gods, 
dared  to  feed  him. 

As  he  grew  older  his  strength  increased  so 
greatly  that  the  gods  began  to  fear  that  in  the  end 


1 26  Wonderful  Stories. 

he  might  prove  too  much  for  them.  They  also 
called  to  mind  the  sayings  concerning  the  evil  that 
he  was  to  bring  upon  them,  and  they  pondered 
whether  they  should  not  bind  him  fast  before  he 
became  any  stronger. 

Now  Fenris,  although  he  knew  not  what  the  gods 
were  thinking  of,  began  to  fear  something  when 
he  saw  that  they  never  came  to  him  singly,  but 
always  many  together,  and  were,  moreover,  well 
armed,  and  more  than  once  brought  chains  with 
them  as  if  they  would  use  them  if  they  might  be 
able  to  do  so.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to  keep 
watch. 

'  If  they  want  to  bind  me,'  said  he  to  himself, 
'  they  must  find  stronger  chains  than  any  that  have 
been  forged  in  Asgard.'  Still  he  pretended  not  to 
see  what  they  were  doing. 

'  I  wonder  if  you  are  as  strong  as  I  am,'  said 
Thor  to  the  wolf.  'See,  I  can  break  this  chain 
asunder  easily.  If  you  were  bound  with  it,  could 
you  do  the  same  ? ' 

'  Try  me,'  answered  Fenris,  who  saw  at  a  glance 
that  the  chain  was  not  too  strong  for  him.  And 
he  allowed  it  to  be  wound  round  and  round  his 
body,  and  fastened  to  a  great  iron  staple  that  ran 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  Chained.   127 

many  feet  into  the  earth.  Then  he  shook  himself 
three  times,  and  the  third  time  the  fetters  fell  to 
the  ground,  and  he  was  free. 

'I  can  break  a  stronger  chain  than  that,'  said 
Fenris. 

And  the  gods  went  away,  and  made  another 
chain  heavier  and  thicker  than  the  last,  and  called 
it  Dromi. 

Then  again  they  came  to  Fenris,  and  asked  him 
if  he  were  willing  to  try  his  strength  once  more. 

Fenris  eyed  the  chain  narrowly,  but  feeling  that 
he  had  strength  enough  to  break  it  suffered  himself 
again  to  be  bound,  and,  as  before,  he  broke  the 
chain  in  pieces,  and  the  splinters  flew  far  and  near. 
And  the  gods  were  rilled  with  dismay,  for  Fenris 
was  already  beyond  their  power  to  bind.  What 
were  they  to  do  ? 

Bragi,  the  eloquent  god,  stepped  forward,  and 
in  a  long  speech,  in  which  he  taught  them  that 
iron  and  base  metal  could  not  overcome  such 
strength  as  that  of  Fenris,  he  told  them  that 
from  more  subtle  elements  a  magic  cord  might  be 
woven  that  would  resist  the  wolf's  most  vigorous 
efforts. 

'  But  where  may  we  get  such  a  cord  ? '  asked  Tyr. 


1 2  8  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  We  have  forged  to  the  best  of  our  power,  and  are 
unable  to  make  a  chain  that  can  hold  the  monster.' 

'  The  gods  are  not  blacksmiths,'  returned  Bragi ; 
'  send  to  those  who  are.  The  dwarfs  of  Black-Elf- 
land  understand  the  secrets  of  the  craft  better  than 
we  do.' 

Now  the  region  of  Black-Elfland,  where  the 
dwarfs  and  dark  elves  dwell,  is  deep  below  the 
earth.  There  they  work  in  metals,  and  are  skilful 
in  all  smith's  work. 

So  Ull,  the  god  who  runs  swiftly  on  snow- 
shoes,  was  sent  to  see  what  the  dwarfs  could  do. 
And  when  the  dwarfs  had  heard  his  story,  they 
told  him  that  they  could  make  a  cord  so  strong 
that  not  even  the  Asas  themselves  could  break  it, 
and  yet  to  outward  seeming  so  slender  that  Fenris 
would  not  be  afraid  of  trying  it.  It  was  to  be 
wrought  of  six  things,  the  sound  of  a  cat's  footsteps, 
the  roots  of  a  mountain,  and  a  fish's  breath  being 
amongst  them. 

And  the  dwarfs  set  to  work,  and  twined  and 
twisted  the  materials  so  deftly,  that  none  could  see 
the  joining,  or  guess  of  what  woof  they  were  woven. 
And  when  the  cord  was  finished,  they  gave  it  to 
Ull,  who  quickly  departed  with  it  for  Asgard. 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  chained.    129 

The  gods  were  a  little  disappointed  when  they 
saw  so  slender  a  bond,  which  looked  as  if  it  might 
be  easily  snapped,  but  when  they  had  tried  their 
utmost  strength  upon  it,  they  found  that  even 
Thor  could  do  no  more  than  strain  it  slightly. 
And  in  very  good  spirits,  they  went  to  Fenris,  and 
took  him  with  them  to  the  island  of  Syngvi,  in  the 
lake  Amsvartnir. 

There  they  feasted,  and  made  merry,  and  at 
last  began  to  try  feats  of  strength.  One  after  an- 
other broke  mighty  bars  of  iron,  and  rent  huge 
chains  in  pieces,  or  hurled  stones  of  prodigious 
weight. 

Fenris  followed  their  example.  One  crunch  of 
his  jaws  shivered  the  strongest  iron,  and  a  stroke 
of  his  paw  sundered  the  heaviest  chains.  And 
when  the  gods  thought  he  must  be  somewhat  tired, 
they  showed  him  the  rope. 

'  It  is  so  late  in  the  day,'  said  Bragi,  '  that  we 
will  give  you  no  hard  task.  We  have  kept  the 
most  slender  cord  until  the  last.  You  shall  have 
the  first  try  at  it.' 

Certainly  the  cord  was  very  fragile  to  look  at  ; 
but  Fenris  was  wary,  he  suspected  treachery,  and 
at  first  refused  to  be  bound  with  it.  But  the  gods 
K 


1 30  Wonder  fid  Stories. 

laughed  at  his  fears  and  said  that  he  was  becoming 
a  coward. 

'  No  coward  am  I,'  replied  Fenris,  '  but  I  fear 
that  ye  are  playing  me  false.  Let  Tyr  put  his  hand 
into  my  mouth  as  a  pledge  of  your  good  faith, 
then  will  I  submit  to  be  bound.' 

So  Tyr  put  his  hand  into  Fenris's  mouth,  and  the 
gods  wound  the  rope  Gleipner  round  and  round  the 
wolfs  body,  and  fastened  his  legs  in  such  a  manner 
that  if  the  rope  were  as  strong  as  the  dwarfs  had 
promised,  there  would  be  no  doubt  of  his  being 
their  prisoner. 

Fenris  lay  quite  still  whilst  the  rope  was  being 
tied,  for  he  had  Tyr  in  his  power,  and  he  trusted  to 
that  in  case  there  should  be  any  treachery. 

Tyr  finding  that  Fenris  was  fast  bound,  at- 
tempted gently  to  withdraw  his  hand  ;  but  the  wolf 
kept  a  firm  hold,  nor  did  he  loose  it  even  in  the 
midst  of  his  struggles  to  break  the  rope. 

The  Asi  gave  a  shout.  '  Long  live  the  dwarfs 
of  the  Black  Elfland,  their  work  is  to  be  trusted.' 

And  again  Fenris  strove  with  all  his  might  to 
free  himself  from  his  bonds,  but  in  vain,  and  he  lay 
on  the  ground  panting  and  well-nigh  exhausted  with 
his  efforts.  Tyr's  hand  was  still  between  his  teeth, 


How  the  Wolf  Fenris  was  chained.     131 

and  he  glared  savagely  as  much  as  to  say,  '  We  are 
captives  together.' 

Then  Tyr  began  to  try  what  force  might  do, 
and  with  the  hand  that  was  free  he  sought  to  open 
the  wolf's  jaws  so  as  to  free  the  other.  He 
had  half  succeeded  when  Fenris,  in  fear  lest  he 
might  lose  it,  made  a  sudden  snap  and  bit  it  off, 
and  Tyr  stood  clear  of  the  wolf,  but  with  only  one 
hand. 

Fenris  was  captive  now. 
And  the  Asi  raised  a  shout  of  joy. 
Tyr  however  was  silent,  sorrowing  over  his  loss, 
and  yet,  perhaps,  he  felt  that  it  was  well  to  get  rid 
of  the  monster  even  at  such  a  cost. 

Then  the  Asi  bound  Fenris  to  a  huge  rock,  and 
to  fasten  him  the  better  they  drove  a  sword  through 
his  jaws  and  pinned  him  fast. 

He  howled  dreadfully  and  foam  issued  from  his 
nostrils.  And  there  he  must  lie  until  the  day  of 
Ragnarock,  when  he,  as  well  as  Jormungand,  shall 
once  more  be  free.  Then  terrible  things  shall 
come  to  pass.  But  the  gods  hope  that  that  day  is 
far  off,  for  when  it  comes  they  must  die. 

Three  winters  without  a  summer  shall  go  before 
it,  and  on  the  plains  of  Vigrid,  a  hundred  miles 

K  2 


132  Wonder fu  I  Stories. 

square,  a  fearful  battle  shall  be  fought  in  which  all 
shall  perish. 

The  gods,  the  giants,  the  living  and  the  dead 
shall  all  be  present  at  it.  The  heroes  who  are 
dwelling  in  Odin's  halls  shall  issue  forth  when  they 
hear  the  gold-combed  cock.  The  dead  who  inhabit 
Hela's  dreary  dwellings  shall  come  forth  when  the 
red  cock  crows  in  hell.  Jormungand  the  serpent 
and  Fenris  will  be  unloosed,  and  Odin  and  Thor 
meet  their  death  as  it  had  been  fcretold. 

The  gods  care  not  to  think  of  Ragnarock.  Though 
it  must  come,  they  put  all  thoughts  of  it  away  ;  and 
perchance  they  look  beyond  to  the  new  earth  that 
is  promised  them,  when  the  world  in  which  they 
now  dwell  shall  have  been  destroyed,  and  to  the 
time  when  the  gods  shall  wake  up  after  their  death- 
sleep  and  live  for  ever  in  joy  and  gladness. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  133 


X.. 

THE  STORY  OF  IDUNA. 

ODIN     STARTS     ON    A   JOURNEY. 

ALTHOUGH  Asgard  was  very  beautiful,  the  Asi  did 
not  care  always  to  remain  at  home.  They  were 
fond  of  travelling  abroad  to  see  the  rest  of  the 
world  and  to  do  great  things.  Even  Odin  himself 
got  tired  of  sitting  day  after  day  upon  his  golden 
throne  and  holding  councils  of  the  gods  in  the 
great  hall  of  Valhalla. 

Odin  liked  change  as  well  as  any  of  the  Asi. 
And  one  day  he  and  Haenir  and  Loki  set  off 
together  upon  a  journey. 

As  long  as  they  were  in  the  land  of  Asgard 
everything  was  pleasant  enough.  The  grass  was 
soft  under  their  feet ;  the  fruit  was  plentiful  on  the 
trees ;  and  there  were  boars,  and  deer,  and  birds 
innumerable  for  them  to  shoot  when  they  needed 
food.  But  when  they  left  the  bounds  of  their  own 
land  all  was  changed.  Instead  of  fertile  valleys 
and  hills  covered  with  verdure,  they  found  sandy 
plains  on  which  no  shrub  would  grow,  and  where 


1 34  Wonderful  Stories. 

there  were  no  refreshing  wells  of  water.  Further 
on  they  met  with  barren  mountains  whose  rocky 
sides  were  sharp  and  steep,  and  in  the  flinty  valleys 
at  their  base  rolled  rivers  of  water  so  salt  that  the 
least  drop  gave  them  unquenchable  thirst,  so  that 
Odin,  Haenir,  and  Loki  could  not  even  moisten 
their  parched  throats. 

This  was  not  very  cheering  ;  but  the  travellers 
kept  up  their  spirits,  hoping  in  time  to  find  the 
wonderful  land,  beautiful  as  Asgard  itself,  which 
Loki  had  told  them  lay  beyond  this  dismal  region. 
And  although  Odin  did  not  place  much  trust  in 
Loki's  words,  he  nevertheless  thought  it  likely  that 
they  must  in  time  come  to  something  less  desolate 
than  the  land  through  which  they  were  passing, 
and  so  he  journeyed  hopefully  along. 

Presently  he  saw  what  he  had  hoped  for.  As  they 
reached  the  top  of  a  low  range  of  hills,  they  came 
in  sight  of  a  patch  of  green  pasture-land  through 
which  a  stream  wound  peacefully.  Here  were 
countless  cattle  grazing,  and  the  sight  cheered 
Odin  and  his  companions  as  they  had  had  nothing 
to  eat  for  some  time,  for  the  food  which  they  had 
brought  in  their  wallets  from  Asgard  they  had 
long  since  devoured. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  135 

Eagerly  they  killed  one  of  the  oxen;  and  as 
Loki  said  that  he  would  make  it  ready  for  supper, 
since  he  knew  more  about  such  things  than  either 
Odin  or  Haenir,  it  was  agreed  that  he  should  be 
left  under  a  wide-spreading  tree,  and  that  the 
other  gods  should  stroll  forth  and  see  the  beautiful 
valley  ,which  they  had  happily  found. 


LOKI'S  ADVENTURE  WITH  THE  EAGLE. 

There  was  nothing  that  Loki  liked  better  than 
being  left  to  his  own  devices,  and  having  every- 
thing his  own  way.  So  no  sooner  were  Odin  and 
Haenir  gone  than  he  gathered  and  lighted  a  pile  of 
sticks  and  dry  leaves,  and  soon  had  a  fire  hot 
enough  to  roast  the  largest  ox  that  ever  lived. 

Next  he  made  a  spit,  for  Loki  was  a  crafty  god, 
and  fastening  the  ox  to  it,  he  went  on  cooking,  con- 
stantly heaping  up  fresh  fuel  on  the  fire,  and  so 
keeping  up  such  a  heat  that  none  but  Loki  himself 
would  have  cared  to  be  so  near  to  it. 

In  due  time  the  ox  was  roasted,  or  at  least  Loki 
thought  that  it  was  roasted,  for  the  outside  looked 
as  if  it  were  thoroughly  well  cooked ;  but  when  he 
cut  off  a  small  slice  and  tasted  it,  he  found  that  it 


1 36  Wonderful  Stories. 

was  as  raw  as  when  he  had  fastened  it  to  the  spit. 
Again  he  set  to  work,  and  piling  twice  as  much 
wood  on  the  fire  as  he  had  done  at  first,  he  sat 
down  and  waited  ;  but  he  waited  in  vain — the  ox 
would  not  roast. 

Loki  was  very  much  astonished  ;  he  had  never 
met  with  such  an  ox  before,  and  he  did  not  at  all 
know  what  to  do.  He  pushed  it  nearer  the  fire,  in- 
deed the  flames  were  playing  close  around  it,  yet 
they  seemed  to  do  nothing.  He  thought  that  he 
must  give  up  his  task  in  despair,  when  a  voice  said 
from  among  the  branches  overhead,  '  So  you  can't 
roast  your  ox,  Loki.'  Loki  looked  up. 

'  Ah  I  thought  something  must  be  at  work  some- 
where,' said  he  ;  'no,  I  cannot.' 

'  If  you  will  promise  to  give  me  part  of  it,'  con- 
tinued the  voice,  '  I  will  promise  that  it  shall  be 
cooked  in  half  the  time  that  you  have  been  about 
it.' 

Again  Loki  looked  up,  and  this  time  he  saw  a 
huge  eagle  perched  upon  the  topmost  branches  of 
the  tree.  He  was  so  large  that  his  wings  stretched 
all  across  it,  and  his  eyes  looked  like  two  fires 
shining  down  upon  Loki. 

'  I  wonder  that  I  did  not  see  you  before,  for  you 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  137 

are  large  enough,'  said  Loki.  « Well,  as  I  cannot 
cook  my  supper  without  your  help,  I  suppose  I 
must  make  terms.  Yes,  you  shall  have  part  of  it.' 

'  Very  well,'  said  the  eagle,  '  I  am  very  hungry, 
and  I  will  keep  my  eye  upon  it  for  you.' 

Now,  whether  it  was  that  the  eagle's  eyes  were 
really  fires  as  they  seemed  to  be,  or  whether  his 
great  wings  fanned  the  flames  until  they  rose  as 
high  as  the  tree  itself,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  What- 
ever the  cause  might  be,  in  a  very  few  minutes  the 
ox  was  ready  to  be  eaten. 

'  And  now  for  my  share,'  quoth  the  eagle.  And 
coming  'down  from  the  tree,  he  planted  his  claws 
firmly  in  the  shoulders  of  the  animal,  and  said  that 
he  would  take  them  as  his  portion. 

Whereupon  Loki  grew  very  angry.  He  and  his 
comrades  had  killed  the  ox,  and  he  had  skinned  it, 
and  had  made  up  the  fire,  and  had  been  at  the 
trouble  of  cooking  it,  and  it  was  not  fair  that  the 
eagle  should  claim  so  large  a  share. 

'  Where  would  your  cooking  have  been  if  I  had 
not  helped  you  ? '  asked  the  eagle. 

'  There  would  have  been  nothing  to  cook  if  we 
had  not  found  the  food,'  answered  Loki. 

'  Might  makes  right,'  said  the  Eagle,  wrenching 


138  Wonderful  Stories. 

away  the  shoulders  from  the  rest  of  the  body.  But 
Loki  was  not  going  to  give  way  to  him  without  a 
struggle,  so  seizing  a  great  faggot  that  was  lying 
near,  he  struck  valiantly  at  the  eagle. 

'  We'll  have  a  fight  for  it,'  said  Loki. 

'  But  not  here,'  answered  the  eagle. 

And  lo,  to  Loki's  amazement,  he  found  that  one 
end  of  the  faggot  was  firmly  stuck  to  the  back  of 
the  eagle,  whilst  the  other  had  so  grown  to  his 
hand  that  he  could  not  loose  his  grasp  of  it. 

'  Now  then,'  said  the  eagle,  and  up  he  rose  into 
the  air  carrying  Loki  with  him.  Away  they  flew, 
over  mountain,  over  valley,  over  sea  and  sandy 
plain,  away  !  away  !  away !  It  was  no  use  for  Loki 
to  shout.  '  Stop  !  stop  ! '  which  he  did  with  all  his 
might ;  the  eagle  had  no  thought  of  stopping,  and 
Loki  was  dragged  along  until  he  thought  that  his 
arm  would  be  broken. 

Sometimes  the  eagle  flew  low,  and  then  Loki  was 
bruised  against  the  sharp  flinty  rocks,  or  blinded 
with  the  dust,  or  dipped  into  the  sea.  Sometimes 
the  eagle  flew  high,  and  then  Loki  was  smothered 
among  the  clouds,  or  knocked  about  amongst 
myriads  of  hailstones ;  and  once  he  thought  he  was 
going  to  be  dashed  against  the  stars  ;  and  all  the 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  139 

time  he  felt  so  dizzy,  that  he  feared  he  was  losing 
his  senses  altogether. 

Once,  too,  he  thought  that  far,  far  away  he  saw 
the  glittering  palace  of  Gladsheim,  shining  like  a 
gem  in  Asgard.  Then  he  shouted  as  loud  as  he 
could  to  one  god  after  another,  Odin  !  Thor  !  Vidar! 
Tyr !  Heimdall !  Bragi !  hoping  that  some  might 
hear  him.  But  no  one  heeded  him. 

'  Bragi,'  said  the  eagle,  slackening  his  pace  a 
little,  '  Bragi.  He  is  the  husband  of  Iduna  ? ' 

'  Yes,'  stammered  Loki,  almost  breathless. 

'  Well,  it  is  of  no  use  calling  upon  any  of  the  Asi 
to  help  you,'  said  the  eagle,  '  but  you  can  help  your- 
self if  you  choose.' 

'  How  ? '  asked  Loki  eagerly. 

'  I  am  not  an  eagle,'  said  the  great  bird,  pausing 
in  his  flight,  and  settling  upon  a  great  thunder- 
cloud that  was  slowly  sailing  along. 

'  Are  you  not  ? '  said  Loki,  opening  his  eyes. 

'  No,  I  am  the  Jotun  Thiasse,  and  I  have  long 
been  in  love  with  Iduna;  and  if  you  will  take  an 
oath  to  deliver  Iduna  and  her  apples  into  my 
hands,  I  will  set  you  down  as  near  to  Asgard  as  I 
dare  venture.' 

Now  Loki  cared  little  either  for  Iduna  or  Bragi. 


140  Wonderful  Stories. 

Indeed,  he  rather  disliked  Bragi,  who  was  always 
gladdening  the  Asi  by  his  honeyed  words,  and  was 
therefore  applauded  by  them,  and  the  envious  Loki 
was  vexed  whenever  he  heard  anyone  praised. 
Therefore  he  willingly  took  the  oath,  and  promised 
to  bring  Iduna  and  her  apples  to  Thiasse. 

Whereupon  the  eagle,  hidden  from  sight  by 
the  thunder-cloud,  dropped  Loki  gently  down 
upon  the  earth,  and  Loki  opening  his  eyes  which 
he  had  closed  as  he  fell,  found  himself  near  the 
bounds  of  Asgard. 

IDUNA. 

Who  was  fairer  in  the  land  of  Asgard  than 
Iduna  ?  Fresh  as  the  morning,  blithesome  as  the 
singing  birds,  nimble  as  the  young  fawn,  never- 
tiring,  never-sorrowing;  full  of  hope,  of  joy,  of 
gladness,  the  everlasting  rose  in  the  garden  of 
gods. 

Well  might  the  god  of  the  voice  sweet  as  honey 
choose  for  his  queen  the  maiden  who  was  the 
guardian  of  everlasting  youth.  Poetry  and  youth 
ever  go  together,  and  so  the  Asi  had  blessed  the 
marriage  of  Bragi  with  the  daughter  of  Ivalldr. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  141 

The  dwarf  Ivalldr  dwelt  in  caverns  beneath  the 
earth,  and  there  he  wrought  at  his  craft  full  cun- 
ningly, and  many  a  gift  he  made  for  the  gods,  but 
his  best  gift  was  given  to  his  child  Iduna,  who  like 
an  imprisoned  sunbeam  had  given  light  to  her 
father's  darksome  dwelling. 

Where  could  a  more  skilful  workman  be  found 
than  the  dwarf  Ivalldr  ? 

Great  was  the  wonder  of  the  gods  when  they 
saw  the  beautifully  chased  casket  of  gold  which 
Ivalldr  £ave  to  his  daughter  on  her  wedding  day, 
greate**men  they  learned  that  it  contained  a  trea- 
sure which  made  it  a  right  worthy  dower  for  the 
bride  of  one  of  the  Asi. 

In  the  casket  were  golden  apples  which  only 
Ivalldr  knew  how  to  make,  and  which  could  bring 
back  youth  to  the  withering  limbs  of  the  old ;  and 
thus  when  the  Asi  felt  that  they  were  losing  their 
strength,  they  had  but  to  taste  Iduna's  golden 
apples,  and  behold  they  were  young  again  as  when 
the  light  of  the  sun  had  first  risen  upon  them. 
And  there  was  yet  another  wonder,  for  these 
apples  could  never  fail.  No  matter  how  often  the 
Asi  ate  of  them,  they  still  remained  as  they  had 
been  when  the  dwarf  first  made  them. 


1 4 2  Wonderful  Stories. 

Iduna,  therefore,  was  a  great  goddess,  and  she 
would  be  missed  more  than  anyone  in  Asgard.  If 
then  the  Jotun  Thiasse  could  make  her  his  wife 
and  have  her  golden  apples,  he  might  think  himself 
a  very  lucky  giant. 

Bragi  and  Iduna  lived  in  a  palace  covered  with 
unfading  roses.  The  garden  round  it  was  gay 
with  flowers  that  seemed  to  have  been  dipped  in 
the  glory  of  Bifrost,  and  the  birds  that  sang  their 
ceaseless  song  by  the  fountains  were  like  no  other 
birds  that  fluttered  in  the  groves  of  Asgard. 

Loki  had  often  been  in  this  garden,  though 
Iduna.  did  not  care  much  to  see  him  there,  for 
she  never  felt  sure  but  that  he  might  mean  some 
mischief. 

But  Loki  knew  the  way  to  the  garden,  and  he 
knew  that  he  should  find  Iduna  there,  feeding  her 
doves,  or  twining  up  her  roses,  or  gathering  great 
baskets  of  sweet-scented  violets  to  strew  upon  the 
floor  of  her  home.  So  when  he  reached  Asgard 
he  went  at  once  to  the  dwelling  of  the  beautiful 
goddess,  and  to  the  garden,  where  he  found  her  as 
he  thought  he  should. 

'  You  have  soon  come  back  from  your  travels, 
Loki/  she  said. 


T/te  Story  of  Iduna.  143 

Loki  nodded  his  head. 

'  I  had  my  reasons,'  he  said.  '  I  have  left  Odin 
and  Haenir  in  the  most  wonderful  land  that  you 
can  think  of.  I  never  saw  anything  like  it,  and  in 
one  spot  that  I  alone  found  there  is  a  tree  on  which 
apples  grow,  far  more  lovely  than  yours.  I  was 
going  to  gather  one,  when  suddenly  the  leaves 
began  to  shiver  and  a  voice  sighed  out  of  the  tree, 
"  None  but  Iduna  may  gather  the  fruit  I  bear." 
Therefore  I  hastened  home  to  tell  you  of  it,  and 
now,  if  you  like,  I  will  take  you  there,  and  you  can 
fill  your  casket  up  to  the  brim.  It  will  hold  a 
great  many  more  apples  than  Ivalldr  gave  you, 
and  it  is  a  pity  that  it  should  not  be  full.' 

Iduna  listened,  and  as  she  listened  a  great 
longing  to  have  some  of  the  beautiful  apples  stole 
over  her. 

'  I  wish  Bragi  were  at  home,'  she  said,  '  and  then 
he  could  go  also.' 

'You  will  be  there  and  back  before  Bragi  comes 
home  if  you  like  to  go  with  me.  I  found  out  a 
short  cut  as  I  hastened  hither,  and  it  makes  me 
laugh  to  think  how  near  Odin  and  Haenir  are  to 
Asgard  though  they  have  no  idea  of  it.' 

'  I  think  I  will  go  with  you,'  said  Iduna. 


144  Wonderful  Stories. 

'As  you  please,'  answered  Loki  carelessly,  'only 
you  must  soon  make  up  your  mind,  for  I  cannot 
wait.'  And  he  turned  away,  as  though  he  were 
going  to  leave  her. 

'  Wait  one  moment,  Loki,  I  must  carry  this 
basket  of  violets  into  the  house.' 

'  And  bring  the  casket  with  you  so  that  we  may 
know  how  many  we  want  to  fill  it,  for  I  quite 
forget  the  size  of  the  apples.  I  will  carry  it  for 
you.' 

So  Iduna  brought  the  casket,  and  she  and  Loki 
glided  through  the  spacious  streets  and  through 
the  great  wide  gateway  out  into  the  pleasant  land 
that  lay-around. 

'  Is  it  far  ? '  asked  Iduna. 

'  Only  just  across  the  border,'  said  Loki  ;  '  you 
will  be  well  rewarded  when  you  get  there.' 

But,  alas  !  no  sooner  were  they  over  the  boun- 
dary line  than  down  swooped  a  great  eagle,  and 
before  Iduna  had  time  to  think  about  anything 
Loki  had  lifted  her  and  her  casket  on  its  back,  and 
away  flew  the  Jotun  Thiasse  with  his  prize,  away 
to  dreary  Jotunheim. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  145 


SORROW   IN   ASGARD. 

When  Bragi  came  home,  he  asked  for  Iduna,  but 
no  one  knew  where  she  was.  The  servants  had 
last  seen  her  in  the  garden,  and  thither  went  Bragi 
to  seek  for  her.  But  she  was  not  there. 

The  doves  drooped  their  heads  as  though  they 
would  tell  a  sorrowful  tale  if  they  could  only 
speak  ;  the  flowers  had  already  begun  to  fade  ;  the 
butterflies  were  fluttering  feebly  over  the  withering 
lilies,  as  though  they  had  not  strength  to  rise  into 
the  air. 

And  as  Bragi  gazed  and  wondered  what  the 
sight  might  mean,  he  happened  to  glance  into  the 
glassy  pool  in  which  the  golden  fishes  were  wont  to 
play,  and  behold  they  had  sunk  as  in  a  deep  sleep 
to  its  lowest  depths.  As  he  bent  over  the  pool,  he 
saw  that  his  own  face  had  suddenly  grown  older ; 
and  as  he  raised  his  head,  he  felt  that  his  limbs 
were  weaker,  and  he  could  no  longer  walk  upright 
and  firmly  as  heretofore. 

As   he    passed    through    the    house  again,   he 

noticed  that  a  change  had  come  over  everyone  he 

met ;  everywhere  he  saw  grey  hair,  and  wrinkles, 

and  stooping  shoulders.     The  dogs  and  cats  even 

L 


146  Wonderfid  Stories. 

had  become  halt  and  blind,  and  nothing  anywhere 
seemed  to  have  any  strength  left  in  it. 

Out  into  the  street  went  Bragi,  and  he  met  none 
but  aged  people  tottering  along.  On  to  the  king's 
palace,  and  there  he  found  a  bent  and  worn  old 
woman  in  the  place  of  the  beautiful  Friga,  and  saw 
Sif  weeping  over  her  golden  locks  which  had 
turned  as  white  as  snow. 

A  blight  had  fallen  upon  Asgard  ;  youth  had 
vanished,  and  age  and  decay  were  creeping  over 
everything  because  Iduna  was  not  there. 

'  Iduna  is  lost,  is  lost !     Where  is  Iduna  ?  ' 

Such  was  the  wail  that  greeted  Odin  as  he  came 
back  to  his  royal  city.  He  had  turned  his  steps 
homeward  sooner  than  he  had  intended,  for  as 
soon  as  Loki  was  gone,  the  green  pastures,  the 
cattle,  and  the  flowing  river,  had  vanished  also,  and 
Odin  and  Haenir  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of 
a  flinty  region  that  spread  on  every  side  further  than 
eye  could  see. 

No  sooner  had  the  king  set  foot  within  his  own 
land  than  he  felt  a  change  come  over  him,  and  that 
his  strength  was  ebbing  fast  away.  He  had  left 
his  palace  in  the  prime  of  glorious  manhood,  he  came 
back  to  it  bent  and  stricken  with  age.  But  the 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  147 

change  was  not  in  himself  alone ;  all  around  were 
suffering  likewise. 

'  Iduna  is  lost,  is  lost !     Where  is  Iduna  ? ' 

But  no  answer  came  to  the  cry. 

At  last  a  feeble  trembling  form  drew  near,  and 
spoke :  '  I  saw  Iduna  leave  the  city  gates  with  Loki.' 

'  Bring  Loki  hither.' 

And  Loki,  shrivelled  up,  and  looking  almost  like 
a  skeleton,  was  brought  before  the  king. 

'  Tell  me,  what  hast  thou  done  ? '  said  Odin  in  a 
hollow  tone. 

But  Loki,  though  he  shook  with  fear,  made  no 
answer. 

Then  Thor,  exerting  all  the  strength  that  still 
remained  to  him,  caught  Loki  by  the  nape  of  the 
neck,  and  tossed  him  up  and  down  with  such  right 
good  will  that  his  heels  sometimes  touched  the 
moon  and  sometimes  the  sea.  For  Loki  had 
shrunk  away  until  he  had  become  as  light  as  a 
feather. 

'Tell  me  what  thou  hast  done  ?'  again  said  Odin 
in  a  voice  more  hollow  than  before,  '  tell  me,  or 
thou  shalt  suffer  unheard-of  tortures,  and  afterwards 
shalt  be  put  to  death.' 

Then   Loki  fell  upon  his   knees,  and  in  a  tre- 


148  Wonderful  Stories. 

mulous  tone  told  of  all  that  had  happened  to 
him  since  Odin  and  Hsenir  had  left  him  roasting 
the  ox. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  With  Iduna,  youth  had 
gone  from  Asgard,  the  freshness  of  life  was  lost, 
the  ills  of  mortality  were  setting  in.  And  not 
alone  did  the  Asi  feel  it,  but  the  fruits  and  flowers, 
the  corn,  the  vines,  the  forest  trees  themselves 
were  dying ;  the  birds  had  ceased  to  sing,  and  the 
beasts  had  lain  down  to  die  upon  the  withered 
herbage. 

'  If  Freyia  would  lend  him  her  hawk's  feather 
dress,  Loki  would  somehow  bring  back  Iduna.' 

So  the  dress  was  brought,  and  Loki  slipped  it  on. 
He  shook  the  plumage  aright,  and  as  he  rose  in  the 
air,  the  Asi  watched  a  gallant  hawk  dart  swiftly 
towards  Jotunheim. 

They  watched  and  watched  until  the  hawk  was 
but  a  speck  against  the  sky. 

They  watched  and  watched  until  the  speck 
could  no  more  be  seen. 

THE    RESCUE. 

Iduna  was  sitting  upon  a  rock  looking  over  the 
great  grey  sea  that  plashed  drearily  upon  the 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  149 

barren  shores  of  Jotunheim.  Her  golden  casket 
was  lying  in  her  lap,  and  she  was  counting  over 
the  apples  and  thinking  upon  the  treachery  of 
Loki. 

She  was  singing  a  song  in  her  own  language, 
and  Thiasse,  who  had  just  put  out  to  sea  in  his 
fishing  boat,  hearing  it,  paused  to  listen ;  and  it 
sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through  his  heart.  He  knew 
not  the  words,  he  only  felt  how  sweet  was  the 
voice  of  the  singer. 

For  thee  my  heart  is  sighing,  Asgard  mine, 
For  thy  fair  roses,  thy  eternal  springs, 
For  my  meek  snow-white  doves  that  o'er  the  fount 
Flutter  their  silver  wings. 

Oh,  would  I  were  a  bird ;  then  unto  thee 
Upon  swift  pinions  would  I  wing  my  flight ; 
No  storm  should  hinder  me,  nor  would  I  fear 
The  dark  and  starless  night. 

Oh,  would  I  were  a  wave  upon  the  sea, 
I'd  flow  and  flow  until  I  reached  thy  shore, 
There  plash  my  song  of  love  at  thy  dear  feet, 
And  rest  for  evermore. 

Oh,  would  I  were  the  northern  light,  that  streams 
In  rose-stained  flashes  o'er  the  star-lit  sky, 
High  in  the  heavens  a  flaming  wreath  I'd  weave 
To  crown  thy  turrets  high. 

O,  Asgard,  Asgard  !  O  ye  Asi  hear  ! 

Sad  pines  Iduna  in  the  land  of  snow, 

Her  tears  flow  fast,  her  soul  longs  for  the  fields 

Where  flowers  immortal  blow. 


1 50  Wonderful  Stories. 

And  Thiasse,  still  with  the  sweet  song  in  his 
heart,  rowed  further  and  further  away. 

And  Iduna  began  to  weep. 

Someone  else  had  heard  Iduna's  song,  and  this 
was  Loki,  who,  in  the  likeness  of  a  hawk,  swooped 
down  and  perched  beside  the  sorrowing  princess. 

'  So  you  would  like  to  be  a  bird,'  said  he,  '  that 
you  might  fly  away  to  Asgard  ? ' 

'  Loki !'  exclaimed  Iduna  joyfully,  for  she  knew 
at  once  who  was  there. 

'  Yes,  Loki !  If  you  are  tired  of  Jotunheim,  I  will 
take  you  back  with  me.  It  is  not  often  that 
wishers  get  what  they  wish  for ;  but  as  it  was  my 
fault  that  you  came  here,  it  is  but  fair  that  I  should 
take  you  home  again.' 

'  Good  Loki  !'  said  Iduna. 

'Scarcely  that  perhaps,'  replied  Loki;  'neverthe- 
less, I  have  come  upon  a  good  errand.  There  is 
great  mourning  throughout  the  land  of  Asgard, 
and  the  Asi  find  that  they  cannot  do  without  you.' 

And  Loki  could  not  help  chuckling  as  he 
thought  of  the  miserable  plight  the  gods  were  in. 
'  Have  you  any  choice  as  to  what  sort  of  bird  you 
would  like  to  be?' 

'No,'  replied  Iduna. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  \  5 1 

Then  she  added,  'Perhaps  a  swallow  is  the 
fleetest.' 

'  Be  it  so  then/  answered  Loki.  And  as  he 
spoke,  Iduna  vanished,  and  a  swallow  rose  in  the 
air.  Loki  seized  it  in  his  claws,  and  away  flew  the 
hawk  and  the  swallow  through  the  heavens. 

Away  !  Away  !  to  Asgard. 

Surely  the  flowers  knew  that  Iduna  was  coming, 
for  they  began  to  raise  their  drooping  heads  ;  a 
gentle  dew  stole  over  the  grass,  and  the  tiny  blades 
drank  thirstily  of  it.  The  white  doves  that  had 
been  sitting  with  ruffled  plumage  on  the  brink  of 
the  fountain  began  to  stroke  their  ruffled  feathers. 
The  Asi  felt  a  fresh  glow  in  their  veins.  Iduna 
was  coming,  was  coming. 

And  a  flush  of  hope  overspread  each  grey 
wrinkled  face. 

And  on,  and  on  flew  the  hawk  and  the  swallow. 
They  were  in  sight  of  Asgard  now.  Joy !  joy  ! 
Iduna  would  see  the  golden  gates  and  rose- 
wreathed  palaces  once  more. 

Ha  !  what  is  that  dark  cloud  looming  in  the 
distance,  that  grows  larger  and  darker  as  it  draws 
nearer,  a  dark  cloud  that  has  dragged  two  shining 
stars  from  heaven,  so  it  appears  to  the  watching 
Asi. 


1 5  2  Wonder fu I  Stories. 

As  it  comes  nearer  it  shapes  itself  into  the  form 
of  a  bird  with  fiery  eyes  and  wings  outstretched  ; 
they  can  almost  hear  the  flapping  of  them  as  the 
eagle  cleaves  the  air. 

Yes,  it  is  an  eagle;  it  is  the  Jotun  Thiasse,  in  his 
eagle's  dress,  speeding  swiftly  after  the  hawk  and 
the  swallow.  For  Thiasse,  when  he  came  back 
from  his  fishing  expedition,  found  that  Iduna  was 
gone,  and  he  was  not  slow  in  divining  what  had 
happened  ;  therefore  he  drew  on  his  feather  garb 
and  started  in  chase  of  Iduna. 

Loki  knew  him,  Iduna  knew  him,  and  she 
trembled.  But  they  held  on  their  flight. 

The  Asi  know  him  now  ;  and,  lo  !  the  flowers  are 
drooping  again,  and  a  darker  look  of  age  and  care 
sits  upon  the  brows  of  the  gods. 

Thiasse  is  gaining  upon  them,  even  as  the  walls 
of  Asgard  are  close  at  hand. 

'  Logs,  chips  ;  heap  up  a  pile  as  high  and  higher 
than  the  walls  ! ' 

'  Higher,  higher  ! '  so  shout  the  Asi  as  they  work 
with  lusty  zeal.  And  along  the  outer  wall  of 
Asgard  a  fence  of  light  dry  wood  is  raised. 

Then  Bragi  takes  a  torch,  and  in  an  instant  the 
quick  flames  crackle  through  the  crisp'  sticks  and 
chips. 


The  Story  of  Iduna.  153 

A  smoke — a  blaze — How  will  it  end  ?  Which 
will  win  the  race  :  they  who  flee  or  he  who  follows  ? 

Nay,  Loki  does  not  mind  the  fire  ;  he  has  darted 
through  it,  and  the  hawk  and  swallow  flutter  to  the 
feet  of  the  king. 

And  the  eagle.  His  heavy  wings  are  fearfully 
scorched  ;  they  bear  him  up  no  longer,  and  down 
he  falls  into  the  devouring  flames.  The  Asi,  with 
loud  cries,  rush  upon  their  foe  and  hew  him  in 
pieces. 

So  dies  Thiasse. 

Then  the  fire  blazed  up  no  longer,  the  smoke 
rolled  away,  the  sun  shone  brightly,  and  not  a 
cloud  was  to  be  seen  in  the  blue  skies. 


REJOICINGS    IN   ASGARD. 

Iduna  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  Asi,  and  as  she 
gazed  upon  their  altered  looks  she  gave  a  sigh  and 
then  a  smile,  and,  opening  her  golden  casket,  she 
offered  her  apples  to  those  who  cared  to  taste  of 
them. 

The  Asi  eagerly  pressed  forward,  and,  as  they 
tasted,  youth,  strength  and  beauty  returned  to  them 
with  renewed  glory,  and  their  hearts  were  filled 


i  54  Wonderful  Stories. 

with  thankfulness  that  life  and  youth  were  brought 
back  to  Asgard.  Loud  shouted  they  with  swords 
unsheathed  and  waved  above  their  heads  :  '  All 
hail,  Iduna  ! ' 

And  at  the  shout  the  birds  sent  forth  a  burst  of 
song,  the  waters  rippled  into  life,  and  rang  a 
silver  peal  of  liquid  bells,  the  roses  breathed  a 
richer  perfume  round,  the  golden  fishes  leaped  and 
kissed  the  crystal  wavelets,  the  weary  beasts  that 
had  lain  down  to  die  upon  the  withered  grass 
arose  and  frolicked  in  the  flower-strewn  pastures. 

Sif  combed  her  golden  locks  in  joyous  glee,  and 
Friga  in  new  beauty  sought  her  lord.  Heimdall 
heard  the  sounds  of  life  and  joy  with  keener  ear, 
and  Thor,  swinging  his  hammer,  felt  that  he  could 
conquer  a  world  of  giants. 

Iduna  threw  her  arms  round  Bragi's  neck,  and 
made  him  stoop  so  low  that  he  could  hear  her 
softly  whisper,  '  Perhaps  I  had  never  come  back  to 
Asgard  had  not  the  true  Runes  of  Mimir  declared 
that  thy  sweet  gift  of  poetry  should  never  die.' 


XL 

HOW  THOR  GOT  A  CAULDRON  FOR  ACER, 
LORD   OF  HELSEYIA. 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  the  Jotun  Ager,  Lord  of  Hel- 
seyia,  visited  Asgard. 

Now  there  was  not  much  friendship  between  the 
Asi  and  the  giants,  for  the  giants  were  not  to  be 
trusted,  and  most  of  their  fine  words  came  to 
nothing.  However,  for  some  reason  or  other,  the 
Asi  paid  good  heed  to  Ager,  and  feasted  him  at  a 
splendid  banquet;  and  when  the  Lord  of  Helseyia 
had  partaken  of  the  rich  fare  and  of  the  sparkling 
mead,  he  besought  Odin  and  all  the  Asi  to  come  and 
see  him  in  his  own  halls,  where  he  would  set  before 
them  as  good  a  feast  as  it  was  in  his  power  to  give. 

Eagerly  the  gods  accepted  his  bidding,  for  Ager 
was  a  very  rich  Jotun,  and  they  looked  forward  to 
a  feast  that  should  be  worth  going  many  miles  to 
share. 

But  after  the  Lord  of  Helseyia  had  gone  to  his 
own  country,  the  Asi,  hearing  nothing  more  about 


156  Wonderful  Stories. 

the  feast,  began  to  suspect  that  Ager  meant  to 
play  them  false,  and  in  order  to  find  this  out  they 
slew  a  goat,  and  by  looking  at  its  entrails  they 
learnt  that  Ager  had  neither  cauldron  nor  kettle  of 
any  kind. 

Now,  if  he  had  no  vessels  wherein  to  cook  food, 
how  could  he  make  a  feast  ?  So  the  gods  said 
that  Ager's  bidding  did  but  show  yet  more  the 
treachery  of  the  giants. 

The  Asi  were  very  wroth  at  finding  they  were 
likely  to  be  balked,  and  sent  Thor  to  insist  upon 
Ager's  giving  them  the  feast  he  had  promised. 

So  Thor  set  off,  and  found  Ager  on  the  sea-shore 
not  far  from  his  castle,  where  he  was  just  gone  to 
fish.  Ager  was  rather  an  idle  Jotun,  and  he  pre- 
ferred tossing  about  in  his  boat  to  hunting  among 
the  mountains. 

He  was  somewhat  surprised  at  the  coming  of 
Thor,  and  a  good  deal  frightened,  for  he  guessed 
upon  what  errand  he  had  come.  However,  he 
pretended  to  be  very  glad  to  see  him,  and  invited 
him  to  go  fishing  with  him. 

«  No,'  said  Thor  bluntly,  '  I  have  not  time  to  do 
that ;  I  must  carry  back  an  answer  to  the  message  I 
have  brought  as  speedily  as  I  can.' 


How  Thor  got  a  Caiddron  for  Ager.    157 

'  And  what  may  the  message  be  ? '  asked  Ager, 
inwardly  trembling,  though  he  strove  to  keep  up  a 
bold  look. 

'  The  Asi  have  sent  to  know  upon  what  day 
they  are  to  sup  with  you.' 

Then  Ager  began  to  stammer,  and  he  tried  to 
show  how  one  thing  had  happened  and  then  another, 
which  had  prevented  his  giving  the  banquet ;  but 
his  words  became  so  confused  that  Thor  could 
make  nothing  of  them,  and  being  a  very  blunt  and 
straightfonvard  god,  he  told  Ager  to  leave  off 
talking,  and  to  answer  a  simple  question, 

'  Are  you  going  to  give  a  feast  to  the  Asi  or  not  ?' 

It  was  a  question  to  which  only  '  yes '  or  '  no  ' 
was  needed,  but  Ager  was  not  ready  to  give  either 
of  these  simple  answers,  so  he  said  :  '  How  can  I 
have  the  food  cooked  if  I  have  not  a  cauldron 
large  enough  ?  And,  what  is  more,  I  know  not 
where  to  get  one.  Now  if  you  will  get  one  for  me, 
the  Asi  shall  have  their  banquet  without  delay.' 

It  was  rather  a  bold  request  to  make  of  the  great 
god  Thor,  but  Thor  did  not  seem  to  be  annoyed 
at  it.  He  had,  at  any  rate,  some  answer  to  his 
question,  and  he  said  that  he  would  return  to  Asgard 
and  take  counsel  with  the  Asi  about  the  matter. 


1 5  8  Wonderful  Stories. 


The  Asi  at  first  thought  that  they  would  make 
war  upon  Ager,  and  despoil  him  of  all  his  wealth  for 
having  dared  to  insult  them,  by  asking  them  to  a 
feast  which  he  knew  himself  unable  to  give. 

But  Tyr,  the  son  of  the  Jotun  Hymir,  one  of  the 
most  powerful  giants  in  Utgard,  stepped  forward 
and  said  that  if  a  cauldron  only  were  needed,  his 
father  had  several,  each  large  enough  to  cook  as 
much  food  as  Ager  could  possibly  require. 

'  And  if  Thor  will  come  home  with  me/  added 
Tyr,  '  I  think  that  with  a  little  craft  we  shall  be  able 
to  get  one.' 

Now  Thor  was  always  fond  of  adventures,  and  as 
the  Jotun  Hymir  was  mightier  in  every  way  than 
the  Lord  of  Helseyia,  he  thought  that,  if  there 
should  be  any  fighting  to  do,  the  giant  of  Utgard 
would  be  the  worthier  foe. 

Therefore,  taking  Tyr  with  him,  he  mounted  his 
chariot,  and  they  sped  quickly  along  on  their  way  to 
Utgard. 

As  the  goat  knew  every  turn  of  the  road,  Thor 
had  only  to  let  the  reins  lie  loose  and  to  amuse 
himself  with  looking  at  the  country  as  they  passed 


How  T/ior  got  a  Caiildron  for  Ager.    1 5  9 

along.  Not  that  he  had  much  time  for  that  either, 
for  so  fleet  was  the  goat's  pace,  that  Thor  and  Tyr 
seemed  scarcely  to  have  passed  the  great  gates  of 
Asgard,  when  they  found  themselves  close  to  the 
city  of  the  giants. 

Thor  remembered  it  well  enough,  and  how  he  and 
Loki  and  Thialfe  had  crept  between  the  bars.  But 
it  did  not  seem  so  high  now,  for  there  was  no 
magical  power  at  work  ;  and  though  there  were 
huge  giants  walking  about  the  streets,  Thor  was 
tall  himself,  and  did  not  look  so  very  small  among 
them. 

They  passed  by  the  city,  and  journeyed  on  some 
leagues  further  into  the  country,  until  they  came  to 
a  great  castle,  that  looked  dreary  enough  amongst 
the  barren  mountains. 

*  This  is  my  father's  castle,'  said  Tyr  ;  '  it  is  one 
of  the  strongest  in  Utgard.' 

And  so  it  was.  It  was  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
the  walls  were  twenty  feet  thick,  the  door  was  of 
massive  iron,  the  windows  were  mere  loop  holes, 
and  it  looked  altogether  more  like  a  prison  than 
like  the  home  of  a  mighty  giant. 

Tyr  rang  the  bell,  and  a  face  cautiously  peered 
through  a  grating. 


1 60  Wonderful  Stories. 

Seeing  Tyr,  the  face  disappeared,  the  door  opened, 
and  Thor  and  his  companion  entered. 

The  passage  was  dark,  and  the  great  hall,  which 
they  reached  after  climbing  up  a  steep  flight  of 
stairs,  would  have  been  dark  also,  had  it  not  been 
for  a  clumsy  lamp  that  hung  from  the  ceiling,  for 
daylight  could  scarcely  come  through  the  small 
windows. 

Here  they  were  met  by  Tyr's  grandmother,  a 
wonderful  person  with  nine  hundred  heads.  Thor 
found  it  very  perplexing  to  know  which  to  look  at, 
for  she  nodded  first  with  one  head  then  with  another, 
she  spoke  first  with  one  tongue  then  with  another, 
then  with  several  together,  which  was  very  con- 
fusing. She  also  winked  her  eyes  so  quickly,  that 
she  made  Thor  wink  also,  until  the  tears  stood  in 
his  eyes.  Her  hearing,  as  we  may  suppose,  was  very 
sharp,  when  she  could  give  a  separate  ear  to 
eighteen  hundred  sounds  at  once.  Thor  could  not 
tell  how  all  these  heads  were  placed  upon  one  neck, 
and  as,  with  all  his  striving,  he  could  not  understand 
it,  he  had  to  rest  content  with  the  fact  that  it 
was  so. 

After  her  came  Tyr's  mother,  who  was  a  fair- 
haired  beautiful  woman.  Standing  by  Thor's  hideous 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    1 6 1 

grandmother,  she  seemed  perhaps  more  beautiful 
than  she  really  was. 

Tyr's  mother  brought  to  Thor  a  welcome-cup, 
and  was  very  glad  to  see  Tyr,  who  had  been  away  for 
some  time. 

'  But  I  fear  that  my  husband  will  not  give  you  a 
hearty  greeting,'  she  said  to  Thor,  '  for  he  often 
comes  home  in  a  very  bad  temper,  and  then  woe 
betide  the  first  on  whom  he  vents  his  wrath.  You 
had  better  therefore  let  me  hide  you  until  his  anger 
is  a  little  cooled.'  Tyr  was  willing  to  do  this  cheer- 
fully, for  he  knew  what  his  father  was ;  but  Thor 
was  ashamed  to  skulk.  Nevertheless,  he  thought, 
'the  wife  knows  the  ways  of  the  household  better 
than  I  do,  and  it  may  be  better  to  follow  her 
counsel.' 

Then  Tyr's  mother  pointed  to  some  huge  kettles 
or  cauldrons ;  in  fact,  the  very  cauldrons  of  which 
Tyr  had  spoken.  They  were  fastened  to  a  great  pil- 
lar at  one  end  of  the  hall,  and  made  a  screen  large 
enough  to  hide  a  troop  of  soldiers.  '  There,'  she 
said, '  if  you  and  Tyr  will  get  behind  them,  you  will 
be  hidden  very  safely.' 

So  Thor  and  Tyr  crept  under  the  cauldrons,  and 
there  she  left  them, — Thor's   heart   swelling  with 
M 


1 62  Wonderful  Stories. 

shame,  and  burning  to  show  Hymir  and  his  wife 
what  a  mighty  god  he  was. 

III. 

After  a  time,  a  great  roaring  and  bellowing  was 
heard  outside. 

4  It  is  my  father,'  whispered  Tyr,  4  calling  to  the 
dogs.' 

As  the  noise  died  down  a  little,  Thor  felt  the 
house  begin  to  shake,  and  great  crashes  were  heard 
from  time  to  time,  so  that  Thor  thought  the  roof 
must  be  falling  in. 

4  It  is  my  father  coming  up  stairs,'  explained 
Tyr  ;  4  he  is  a  little  noisy.' 

'  Oh,'  said  Thor. 

Then  the  door  of  the  hall  was  flung  open,  and 
Thor  thought  that  a  whirlwind  had  swept  into  the 
room,  for  everything  clattered,  and  shivered,  and 
seemed  to  be  banging  about ;  the  table  creaked  and 
groaned,  and  the  lamp  almost  went  out. 

But  Tyr  whispered, 4  It  is  only  my  father  kicking 
off  his  hunting  boots.' 

4  Oh,'  again  answered  Thor ;  and  he  peeped  out 
from  his  hiding-place,  and  saw  the  huge  giant 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  A ger.    163 

He  was  so  tall  that  his  head  touched  the  ceiling, 
and  his  hair  was  like  a  waggon  load  of  sheep's 
wool,  all  ropy  and  tangled,  his  thick  beard  like  a 
frozen  forest,  whilst  his  eyes  seemed  almost  as  large 
as  his  mother's  nine  hundred  pairs  put  together, 
and  his  voice  sounded  like  the  bellowing  of  a  herd 
of  cattle. 

Truly  he  was  a  very  terrible  giant  to  look  at, 
and,  for  a  moment,  Thor  himself  was  glad  of  the 
shelter  of  the  cauldrons. 

Hymir's  gentle  wife  stood  beside  him,  and  Thor 
could  not  help  wondering  what  had  made  her  fall 
in  love  with  him. 

However,  she  seemed  not  to  mind  his  rough  ways, 
and  she  persuaded  him  to  sit  down  and  listen  to 
what  she  had  to  tell  him. 

'  Rejoice  with  me,  Hymir,'  she  said,  '  for  great 
happiness  has  befallen  us.  Our  son,  our  long-lost 
Tyr,  has  come  home  from  his  travels,  and  with  him 
he  brings  the  noble  Veorr,  sprung  from  a  gentle 
race.' 

'  I  see  them  not,'  answered  the  giant;  'why  are 
they  not  here  to  greet  me  ? ' 

'  Nay,'  replied  his  wife,  '  they  are  not  far  off,  but 
no  sooner  did  they  hear  thy  voice  chiding  the 
M  2 


1 64  Wonderful  Stories. 

hounds  than  they  hid  themselves,  fearing  to  meet 
thine  anger.  Behind  yon  pillar,  whereon  the  caul- 
drons hang,  stand  Veorr  and  thy  son.' 

Then  the  giant  cast  so  savage  a  glance  at  the 
pillar,  and  on  the  ceiling  above  it,  that,  unable  to 
bear  his  look,  the  beams  split  asunder,  and  the 
heavy  pillar  shook. 

Then  the  giant  cast  a  still  more  savage  glance  upon 

the  eight  cauldrons,  which  fell  to  the  ground  with  a 

fearful  crash  that  well  nigh  deafened  Thor  and  Tyr. 

Seven  of  the  cauldrons  were  broken  to  pieces,  but 

the  eighth,  which  was  the  largest,  was  not  hurt. 

When  the  cloud  of  dust  had  cleared  away,  Tyr 
and  his  friend  stepped  forth  from  behind  the  pillar. 
The  giant  did  not  seem  overjoyed  to  see  them. 
'  A  pretty  pair,  hiding  away  like  mice,'  he  said 
scornfully;  then  looking  more  closely  at  Thor,  he 
started.    '  The  god   Thor ! '  he  exclaimed,   for   he 
knew  his  old  enemy. 

Thor  was  not  altogether  at  his  ease,  for  he  re- 
membered how  mighty  a  giant  Hymir  was,  and 
the  breaking  of  the  cauldrons  had  not  cheered 
him.  If  the  glance  of  Hymir  could  do  such  things, 
what  might  not  his  arm  do  ? 

However,  he  spoke  as  though  he  was  well  pleased 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    165 

to  see  the  Jb'tun,  and  said  that  Tyr,  who  had  been 
sojourning  awhile  in  Asgard,  had  persuaded  him  to 
visit  Utgard. 

'  I  had  no  notion  you  had  such  fine  castles  in 
your  country,'  added  Thor,  trying  to  say  something 
pleasant. 

'  They  are  strong,'  said  the  giant,  looking  round 
his  great  dreary  hall.  '  I  don't  know  that  they  are 
handsome.  I  think  not,  but  they're  good  enough 
for  me.  Wife,'  said  he,  turning  suddenly  round, 
'  where  is  my  supper  ? ' 

She  whispered  something  to  him. 

'  Not  enough  ?'  said  he  aloud.  '  Make  it  enough 
then,  since  the  god  Thor  has  come  to  visit  us. 
Have  three  oxen  slain  and  dressed  at  once.  I 
have  had  a  hard  day's  hunting,  and  I  am  hungry.' 

So  Hymir's  wife  went  away,  and  very  soon  the 
three  oxen  roasted  whole  were  brought  in  on  a 
mighty  dish. 

Hymir,  willing  to  make  Thor  believe  that  he 
needed  a  great  deal  of  food,  ate  two  of  them,  and 
Tyr  shared  the  third  with  Thor. 

The  giant's  wife  grieved  sadly  to  see  so  much 
food  taken.  What  were  they  to  do  if  it  should  go 


1 66  Wonderful  Stories. 

1  Never  mind/  said  Thor,  '  I  can  row  a  boat,  and 
I  can  fish,  and  to-morrow  I  will  go  out  to  sea  and 
bring  home  fish  in  plenty,  if  your  husband  will  only 
give  me  some  bait.' 

To  this  Hymir  agreed. 

*  Let  Thor  go  into  the  pastures  and  take  what 
bait  he  pleases,'  said  he. 


IV. 

The  next  morning  Thor  rose  early,  and  told 
Hymir  that  he  would  go  and  fish. 

'  A  bull's  head,'  said  he,  '  is  the  best  bait  that  I 
know  of,  and  with  that  alone  will  I  fish.' 

Hymir  wondered  at  his  words,  but  he  said 
nothing,  and  waited  to  see  what  Thor  would  do. 

Thor  went  into  the  fields  where  was  a  drove  of 
fierce  cattle  grazing  ;  he  walked  fearlessly  in  among 
them,  and  seizing  a  large  black  bull  by  the  horns, 
dealt  it  so  heavy  a  blow  with  his  hammer  that  it 
fell  down  dead  on  the  spot,  and  then,  with  one  jerk 
of  his  hand,  he  twisted  off  its  head. 

'  You  surprise  me,'  said  Hymir. 

And  they  went  down  to  the  boat  together. 

They  got  in,  and  Thor,  taking  the  oars,  made  one 


HOW    THOR    GOT    A    CAULDRON. 

'  Thor  went  into  the  fields  -where  was  a  drove  of  fierce 
cattle  grazing'  (p.  166). 


How  TJwr  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    1 6  7 

or  two  strokes,  which  carried  them  many  leagues 
out  to  sea.  Hymir,  however,  said  nothing ;  he  was 
waxing  wroth  and  envious,  for  he  marvelled  at  the 
strength  of  his  guest,  and  longed  to  be  able  to 
show  that  his  own  might  was  greater. 

Thor  was  using  all  his  strength,  for  he  was  very 
eager  that  Hymir  should  see  how  great  his  powers 
were.  Neither  spoke,  but  from  time  to  time  each 
looked  askance  at  the  other. 

Hymir  was  the  first  to  throw  out  his  line,  and, 
hiding  his  fears,  he  half  closed  his  eyes  and 
waited  for  a  bite. 

Soon  he  felt  a  heavy  pull  at  the  line,  and,  drawing 
it  carefully  in,  he  found  that  he  had  hooked  a 
tremendous  whale. 

He  took  it  off  the  hook,  and  threw  it  into  the 
bottom  of  the  boat  as  though  he  caught  whales 
every  day. 

It  was  Thor's  turn  now  to  try  his  luck. 

He  fixed  the  bull's  head  to  the  hook,  and  cast  it 
into  the  water. 

Then  he  waited,  for  he  knew  that  what  he  angled 
for  would  be  longer  in  coming  up  than  the  whale. 
But  he  did  not  wait  in  vain.  Presently  he  knew 


1 68  Wonderful  Stories. 

by  the  shock  that  the  boat  received  that  the  great 
serpent  of  Midgard  had  fastened  on  the  bait. 

Then  began  a  fierce  struggle  ;  the  serpent  strug- 
gling to  get  free,  and  Thor  striving,  with  might  and 
main,  to  bring  the  monster  to  the  surface  of  the 
water.  The  sea  began  to  heave  and  roll  as  though 
a  storm  had  arisen,  and  the  great  heavy-built  boat 
tossed  as  though  it  had  been  but  a  cockleshell,  and 
it  was  all  that  the  Jotun  Hymir  could  do  to 
prevent  being  dashed  out. 

Still  the  struggle  went  on  ;  now  Thor  had  almost 
drawn  the  monster  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  now  he 
was  almost  dragged  into  the  water  himself  by  the 
sudden  plunges  of  his  wriggling  enemy.  At  last, 
after  a  fierce  strife,  Thor  dragged  up  the  serpent's 
wolfish  head  on  a  level  with  the  boat,  whilst  fold 
after  fold  of  his  shiny  body  lay  for  leagues  upon 
the  water. 

The  Jotun  Hymir  almost  turned  to  stone  with 
fear  at  the  sight  of  the  monster,  which  glared 
hideously  with  its  cruel  eyes,  and  poured  forth 
streams  of  venomous  vapour  from  its  nostrils. 

When  he  had  held  it  long  enough  to  show  that 
he  had  indeed  caught  his  prize,  Thor  gave  the 
serpent  a  heavy  blow  with  his  hammer,  whilst  the 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    1 69 

earth  shook  with  fear,  and  the  mountains  groaned ; 
then,  rising  up,  with  his  whole  strength  he  hurled 
the  monster  into  the  watery  world  again.  And 
down  sank  the  serpent  of  Midgard  once  more  to  the 
lowest  depths  of  the  ocean. 

Hymir  might  well  think  it  hopeless  to  do  a 
greater  feat  than  Thor  had  done,  and  he  sat 
sulkily  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  leaving  Thor  to 
row  the  whole  of  the  way  home. 

Thor,  however,  was  so  well  pleased  that  he  plied 
the  oars  cheerfully,  and  when,  as  they  came  near 
the  landing-place,  Hymir  asked  him  to  help  in 
hauling  up  the  boat  on  shore,  and  in  carrying 
home  their  prize,  Thor  plunged  into  the  water,  and, 
taking  up  the  boat,  threw  it,  whale,  oars,  benches, 
ropes,  and  all,  upon  his  shoulders  and  carried  it  up 
to  the  giant's  castle. 

Hymir's  wife  was  glad  to  see  the  whale;  it 
would  surely  give  food  for  some  days,  and  she  was 
going  to  cut  it  up,  when  Hymir,  in  an  angry  tone, 
bade  her  cook  it  whole. 

'  Our  guest  has  tired  himself  to-day,'  he  said. 

'  That  have  I  not,'  answered  Thor.  '  I  am  as  fresh 
as  when  I  set  out  this  morning.' 

But  the  Jotun  pretended  not  to  believe  it. 


1 70  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  Well,'  said  he,  '  we  will  try  your  strength  after 
supper ;  not  now,  for  at  present  I  am  too  sleepy  to 
look  after  anything.' 

And  Hymir  closed  his  eyes,  not  that  he  was 
really  sleepy ;  he  was  only  very  much  vexed,  and 
he  did  not  want  to  talk  to  Thor.  He  wished  also 
to  think  of  some  trial  of  strength  in  which  Thor 
would  be  likely  to  fail,  for  it  would  never  do  to  let 
him  return  to  Asgard  triumphing  over  the  great 
Jotun  Hymir. 


The  whale  was  served  up  for  supper  with  a 
sauce  of  which  the  giant  was  very  fond.  This  put 
him  in  rather  a  better  mood.  The  ale  was  also 
very  good,  for  Hymir's  mother  had  brought  her 
eighteen  hundred  eyes  to  see  after  the  brewing 
of  it. 

This  warmed  the  Jotun's  heart,  and  made  him 
feel  twice  the  giant  that  he  was  before  supper. 

*  And  now,'  said  he  to  Thor,  '  if  you  can  in  one 
trial  dash  my  drinking-bowl  in  pieces,  I  will  own 
that  you  are  mightier  than  I.' 

Thor  laughed,  and  without  moving  from  his  seat, 
he  raised  his  hand  and  struck  a  granite  pillar  that 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  A ger.    171 

was  near  him  with  such  force  that  he  broke  it  in 
two. 

'If  I  can  do  that,'  he  said,  'I  can  break  a 
drinking-cup.' 

'  Pooh,'  replied  the  giant,  '  that  is  nothing.  My 
drinking-bowl  is  harder  than  iron.' 

The  servants,  at  a  sign  from  Hymir,  placed  the 
bowl  upon  the  ground  before  Thor. 

'Lift  it,'  said  the  giant.  It  was  much  heavier 
than  Thor  had  thought,  and  the  Jotun  was  much 
delighted  at  seeing  that  Thor  had  been  cheated  by 
its  look. 

'  Throw  it,'  he  said. 

Now  Hymir's  wife  was  standing  near  to  Thor, 
and,  pretending  to  be  busy  with  the  dishes  on  the 
table,  she  bent  down  so  that  her  husband  could 
not  see  her  lips  move,  and  she  whispered,  '  Throw 
it  against  Hymir's  head.' 

Thor  did  as  she  bade  him.  With  all  his  might 
he  dashed  the  bowl  against  the  giant's  skull,  and 
the  bowl  fell  to  the  ground  in  pieces,  whilst  the 
Jotun  remained  unhurt. 

Then  Thor  stood  on  his  guard,  for  he  thought 
that  the  giant  would  be  fiercely  wroth.  But 
Hymir  was  too  much  taken  up  in  grieving  over 


172  Wonder fu  I  Stories. 

his  broken  bowl,  which  no  one  yet  had  been  able  to 
break. 

Besides,  Thor  had  proved  himself  more  subtle 
and  skilful  than  he  had  thought  to  find  him. 

He  only  said,  '  Thor  has  taken  too  much  ale.' 

After  which  he  proposed  that  Thor  and  Tyr 
should  try  to  lift  the  heavy  cauldron  that  remained 
unbroken. 

Twice  Tyr  strove  to  do  so,  and  twice  he  failed  ; 
but  when  it  came  to  Thor's  turn,  not  only  did  he 
lift  it,  but  he  placed  it  on  his  head,  and,  darting 
through  the  door,  down  the  stairs,  and  along  the 
hall,  he  gained  the  outer  gate,  and  fled  away  with 
the  cauldron  as  fast  as  he  could  go. 

Up  sprang  Hymir,  but  his  feet  were  unsteady, 
and  the  ale  was  making  him  feel  drowsy.  Never- 
theless, he  roused  himself  as  well  as  he  could,  and 
hastened  after  Thor,  calling,  as  he  sped  along,  upon 
the  other  Jotuns  to  join  in  the  chase. 


VI. 

By  this  time,  Thor  was  many  leagues  off,  but  he 
was  quite  out  of  breath  with  running  so  fast  and  so 
far,  and  he  stopped  for  awhile  to  rest. 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    \  7  3 

Presently  he  heard  the  shouts  of  the  giants  in 
the  distance,  and  so  he  took  to  flight  again,  but 
the  weight  of  the  cauldron  was  so  great  that  he 
could  not  go  as  fast  as  before,  and  the  giants 
gained  upon  him. 

Thor  could  hear  them  near  him,  and  he  at  once 
made  up  his  mind  what  to  do. 

The  great  god  Thor  must  not  be  seen  running 
away  from  his  enemies  ;  therefore  he  stopped,  and 
placing  the  cauldron  on  the  ground,  he  brandished 
his  hammer  and  waited  for  the  foe. 

Up  came  the  troop  of  giants,  with  Hymir  at 
their  head,  and  the  fight  began.  It  seemed  to  be 
an  unequal  one,  but  then  Thor  was  the  strongest 
of  the  Asi,  and  if  he  could  conquer  the  serpent  of 
Midgard  he  could  surely  defend  himself  against  the 
giants. 

And  so  he  did.  And,  moreover,  so  well  did  he 
aim  the  blows  of  his  hammer,  that,  after  a  short 
and  sharp  fight,  the  giants  lay  dead  upon  the  field 
of  battle,  and  Thor,  raising  the  cauldron  once  more 
upon  his  head,  bore  it  off  in  triumph  to  Asgard. 


1 74  Wonderful  Stories. 


When  Thor  had  thus  got  for  the  Lord  of 
Helseyia  a  cauldron  large  enough  to  hold  every- 
thing that  he  could  need,  Ager  could  no  longer 
delay  to  make  the  feast  which  he  had  said  that  he 
would  give  to  the  Asi. 

So  when  all  things  were  ready,  Ager  sent  out  to 
bid  the  gods  and  goddesses,  and  Loki,  too,  was 
bidden  among  the  guests. 

It  was  a  splendid  feast;  the  hall  was  lighted  with 
gold  till  it  gleamed  like  the  sun.  The  dishes  and 
goblets  moved  about  just  as  the  guests  wanted 
them.  Hands  which  they  could  not  see  poured 
out  the  wine  and  placed  the  rarest  fruits  before  the 
Asi. 

Besides  this,  Ager  had  two  servants  who  served 
the  guests  so  well  that  all  the  gods  praised  them 
loudly;  but  Loki  was  so  envious  that  he  slew  one 
of  the  servants,  whose  name  was  Fimassenger. 
Then  the  Asi  rose  in  a  body,  but  when  they  had 
thrust  Loki  out  of  the  hall,  they  sat  down  again  to 
carouse,  and'all  said  that  never  was  a  better  feast 


How  Thor  got  a  Cauldron  for  Ager.    1 75 

than  this  which  the  Lord  of  Helseyia  had  given  to 
them. 

Thor  alone  of  all  the  Asi  was  not  there.  He  was 
journeying  in  the  east,  and  perhaps  he  was  doing 
feats  as  mighty  as  those  which  he  wrought  when 
he  was  seeking  to  get  the  cauldron  for  the  Jotun 
Ager. 


1 76  Wonderful  Stories. 


XII. 

KING   OLAF  THE  SAINT. 

HUNDREDS  of  years  ago  lived  Olaf,  a  brave  king, 
and  his  brother  Harald  Haardrade. 

One  day,  when  these  brothers  were  talking 
together,  they  began  to  speak  of  old  Norroway, 
the  land  of  their  birth. 

'  It  is  a  land  full  of  high  hills,'  said  one. 

'  It  is  a  land  full  of  fertile  valleys,'  said  the  other, 
'where  there  is  no  lack  of  waving  corn,  fair  pastures, 
and  summer  flowers.' 

'  It  is  a  land  over  which  anyone  might  be  con- 
tent to  reign/  said  Olaf;  '  a  monarch  might  be 
justly  proud  of  such  a  kingdom.' 

'  Truly,'  replied  Harald  Haardrade ;  '  better  for- 
tune could  no  man  wish.' 

'  Then,'  answered  Olaf,  '  let  us  make  a  bargain. 
Our  ships  are  in  the  harbour  ;  they  are  well  matched. 
Let  us  sail  forth,  and  he  who  reaches  first  our 
native  land,  shall  be  king  of  old  Norroway.' 

'  I  am  quite  willing,'  said  Harald    Haardrade ; 


King  Olaf  the  Saint.  1 7  7 

'yet  there  is  one  condition  I  should  like  to  make. 
Thou  hast  said  that  our  ships  are  equally  matched  ; 
nevertheless,  I  take  thine  to  be  the  fastest  sailer. 
Art  thou  willing  to  change  vessels  with  me  ?  So 
will  we  run  the  race.' 

'  I  am  willing,'  said  Olaf.  '  If  thou  thinkest  my 
vessel  to  be  the  fleeter,  take  her,  and  welcome,  and 
I  will  take  thine.  Is  this  a  fair  bargain  ? ' 

'  Perfectly  fair,'  answered  Harald  Haardrade,  well 
satisfied  that  he  should  have  his  brother's  ship. 

Now  the  vessel  belonging  to  Olaf  was  called 
the  Dragon.  Lightly  she  danced  over  the  waves, 
and  a  child  could  have  turned  her  north,  south,  east, 
or  west,  by  just  one  touch  to  the  rudder.  Harald 
Haardrade's  ship,  the  Ox,  was  heavier  built,  and 
not  so  easy  to  manage  ;  nevertheless,  there  was  no 
fault  to  be  found  with  her. 

However,  Olaf  thought  one  vessel  as  good  as 
the  other,  and,  therefore,  said  nought  against  his 
brother's  proposal ;  perhaps,  too,  he  felt  himself  to 
be  the  better  seaman.  However,  this  may  have 
been,  the  story  does  not  say;  but  there  is  reason  to 
think  that  something  in  his  heart  told  Olaf  that 
the  change  of  ships  would  make  no  difference  to 
their  captains. 

N 


1 78  Wonderful  Stories. 

So  the  brothers  parted,  and  Olaf,  having  made 
all  things  ready,  went  to  the  church  to  pray  for  a 
blessing  upon  his  work,  'For,'  said  he,  'how  can  I 
expect  to  prosper  unless  I  have  the  blessing  of 
heaven  ?' 

And  as  he  passed  along  the  aisle  of  the  stately 
building,  with  his  beautiful  hair  flowing  over  his 
shoulders,  the  people  wished  him  success,  and 
prayed  that  good  King  Olaf  might  win  the  race. 

As  he  moved  along  in  solemn  mood,  a  mes- 
senger came  in  hot  haste,  and  stopped  him,  saying, 
'  Why  dost  thou  waste  the  time,  King  Olaf  ? 
thy  brother  is  sailing  away  in  the  Dragon.  Far 
ahead  of  thee  will  he  be,  if  thou  dost  not  turn  thy 
steps  aside  from  the  altar,  and  follow  him  without 
delay.' 

But  King  Olaf  answered  the  messenger,  '  Let 
those  sail  who  choose  to  sail ;  I  will  not  depart 
without  the  blessing  of  heaven.' 

And  so  he  waited  quietly  until  the  mass  was 
over,  and  then  went  calmly  down  to  the  seashore. 

The  great  white-crested  waves  were  dashing  on 
the  strand,  and  the  Ox  rocked  heavily  at  her 
moorings,  and  over  the  wide  sweep  of  blue  sea 
there  was  no  sign  of  the  Dragon.  Away,  far  away, 


King  Olaf  the  Saint.  179 

had  the  Dragon  sped  ;  the  wind  was  in  her  favour, 
and  she  had  weighed  anchor,  and  set  her  sails,  and 
danced  gallantly  away  till  there  were  now  many 
miles  between  her  and  the  shore.  Olaf  strained 
his  eyes,  and  saw  a  speck  of  white  that  fluttered  for 
a  moment  and  then  vanished.  Perchance  it  might 
be  the  Dragon. 

However,  Olaf  did  not  despair.  He  had  asked 
the  blessing  of  heaven  upon  his  undertaking,  and 
although  the  beginning  seemed  bad,  yet  he  said  in 
his  heart,  '  Who  can  see  so  far  as  the  end  ?  I  will 
not  be  dismayed.' 

Strong  in  the  might  of  his  faith,  he  bade  the 
sailors  get  ready,  and  when  all  was  done  he  stepped 
on  board  his  vessel.  The  anchor  was  raised ;  a 
gentle  breeze  stirred  the  sails;  the  helmsman 
guided  the  ship  seaward  ;  and  as  King  Olaf  stood 
at  the  prow,  he  said  reverently,  '  O  Ox,  Ox, 
speed  thee  on  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord.' 

Then  he  leaned  forward,  and  taking  hold  of  one 
of  the  white  horns  of  the  Ox,  as  though  it  had 
been  a  living  creature,  he  said,  '  Now  speed  thee,  O 
thou  patient  Ox,  even  as  though  thou  wert  going 
to  pasture  in  fragrant  clover  fields.' 

And    as  if  in  answer  to  his  words,  the  heavy 

N  2 


1 80  Wonderful  Stories. 

vessel  gave  a  leap,  and  gallantly  ploughed  the  wild 
waves.  And  the  white  spray  rose  even  until  it 
frosted  over  the  king's  beautiful  locks,  and  he 
shouted  to  the  watcher  on  the  topmost  mast,  '  Ho, 
lad  !  Ho  !  Can'st  thou  see  aught  of  the  fleet-sailing 
Dragon  ?' 

And  the  lad  answered,  '  I  see  naught  upon  the 
sea.  There  is  not  even  a  fishing-boat  out  upon 
the  broad  wyaters.' 

And  on  they  sailed  in  silence.  After  awhile, 
King  Olaf  called  to  the  lad  again,  '  Ho,  lad  !  Ho  ! 
Can'st  thou  see  aught  of  the  good  ship  Dragon  ? ' 

Then  the  lad  answered,  'Nigh  the  land  of 
Norroway  I  espy  the  silken  sails  of  a  vessel.  The 
sun  shines  upon  them,  and  they  glitter  as  though 
they  were  bordered  with  gold.' 

And  King  Olaf  knew  that  it  was  his  own  brave 
ship,  and  again  they  sailed  on  in  silence. 

After  awhile  he  called  yet  again  to  the  lad, '  Ho, 
lad!  Ho  !  Can'st  thou  see  aught  of  the  Dragon?' 

And  the  lad  made  answer,  '  Nigh  the  shores  of 
old  Norroway,  under  the  shade  of  the  purple 
mountains,  I  see  a  vessel  riding  full  sail  before  the 
wind,  and  I  know  that  it  is  the  good  ship 
Dragon.' 


King  Olaf  the  Saint.  1 8 1 

Then  King  Olaf  struck  the  Ox  upon  the  ribs, 
and  cried,  '  Faster,  faster,  thou  Ox,  faster.  There 
is  no  time  to  lose.' 

And  again  he  struck  the  Ox  upon  the  eye,  and 
shouted, «  Faster,  faster,  faster,  if  thou  would'st  have 
me  win  the  haven.' 

And  suddenly  it  seemed  as  though  the  Ox 
had  started  into  life,  and  was  putting  forth  all  its 
new-gained  powers,  for  forward  bounded  the  vessel 
with  a  sudden  leap.  Swiftly,  swiftly,  swiftly,  no 
one  had  ever  known  such  sailing.  Swifter  than  a 
bird  on  the  wing,  swifter  than  an  arrow  through 
the  air.  So  sped  the  Ox  through  the  foaming 
sea.  The  sailors  could  not  climb  the  rigging; 
indeed,  it  was  more  than  they  could  do  to  stand 
firmly  upon  the  deck  ;  so  King  Olaf  lashed  them 
firmly  to  the  masts,  though  the  steersman  asked 
him  who  was  going  to  guide  the  ship.  '  I  will  see 
to  that  myself/  answered  King  Olaf;  'not  one  of 
you  shall  be  lost  through  me.  I  will  guide  the 
ship  straight  on  like  a  line  of  light.' 

And  King  Olaf  stood  by  the  helm,  and  he 
steered  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left,  but 
on,  straight  on,  and  his  eye  was  fixed  upon  the 
goal. 


1 8  2  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  So  must  I  run,'  he  said,  '  if  I  would  win  the 
race.' 

What  mattered  it  to  King  Olaf  though  rocks 
and  mountains  stood  in  the  way  ?  His  faith  was 
stronger  than  the  rocks.  Right  onward  he  went, 
and  the  valleys  filled  with  water,  and  the  moun- 
tains disappeared,  the  blue  waves  rolled  over  them, 
and  the  Ox  went  triumphantly  on  its  way. 

Out  came  running  the  little  elves,  for  the  sudden 
rising  of  the  floods  had  disturbed  them. 

'Who  art  thou,  bold  mariner,  who  sailest  over 
our  homes?  Behold  the  mountains  shake  with 
fury.  Tell  us  what  is  thy  name  ? ' 

'  Quiet  ye,  quiet  ye,  little  people,'  answered 
King  Olaf.  '  I  am  Saint  Olaf;  turn  ye  into  stones 
until  I  come  this  way  again.' 

So  the  little  elves  turned  into  stones,  and  rolled 
down  the  mountain  sides,  and  the  good  ship  went 
on  her  way. 

She  had  not  gone  far  before  out  came  an  old 
Carline,  and  said,  '  Saint  Olaf,  I  know  you,  with 
your  beard  shining  like  red  gold.  Wherefore  do 
you  bring  with  you  the  waters  to  mock  us  in  our 
dwellings  ?  Your  ship  has  burst  through  the  wall 
of  my  chamber.  Evil  luck  be  with  you.' 


KING    OLAF    THE    SAINT. 
:  Out  came  running  the  little  elves'  (p. 


King  Olaf  the  Saint.  1 8  3 

Then  Saint  Olaf,  for  he  was  a  saint  as  well  as  a 
king,  fixed  his  glance  witheringly  upon  the  old 
Carline. 

'  Be  thou  turned  into  a  flint  rock,'  said  he,  '  and 
so  remain  for  ever  and  ever.' 

And  the  Carline  was  turned  into  a  rock,  and 
Saint  Olaf  and  his  crew  sailed  on  and  on. 

So  fleetly  flew  the  good  ship  Ox,  that  anyone 
must  have  had  good  eyes  to  see  her  as  she  flashed 
past,  for  so  she  sped  on  that  if  Saint  Olaf  drew 
his  bow  and  shot  an  arrow  forward,  it  fell  far  behind 
in  the  wake  of  the  vessel. 

This  was  fast  sailing  indeed,  and  with  such 
speed  it  is  not  wonderful  that  though  Harald 
Haardrade  had  had  the  start  of  his  brother,  yet 
Saint  Olaf  reached  home  three  days  before  him. 

Harald  Haardrade  was  wild  with  rage  when  he 
came  those  three  days  later  and  found  Saint  Olaf 
king  of  Norroway. 

And  he  raged  and  raged  until  at  length  he 
became  a  dragon.  And  this  is  the  last  that  we 
hear  of  Harald  Haardrade. 

Now,  as  Saint  Olaf  had  prayed  for  the  blessing 
of  heaven  before  he  set  out  on  his  voyage,  it  was 
natural  that  his  first  act  upon  landing  should  be  to 


1 84  Wonderful  Stories. 

go  to   the   nearest   church   to   return   thanks   for 
having  so  mightily  prospered. 

And  as  he  walked  up  the  crowded  nave,  a 
golden  glory*  beamed  from  his  fair  hair,  and  the 
people  of  Norroway  learned  a  great  lesson  from 
the  faith  of  King  Olaf  the  Saint. 


XIII. 
THE  STORY  OF  FRITHIOF. 


IN  a  cottage  overshadowed  by  wide  spreading 
oaks,  and  surrounded  by  a  garden  in  which  bloomed 
the  sweetest  flowers  of  summer,  lived  an  aged 
peasant  named  Hilding. 

Two  children  might  be  seen  playing  about  the 
garden  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  but  they  were  not 
old  Hilding's  children.  The  handsome  boy  was 
the  son  of  the  Thane,  Thorsten  Vikingsson;  the 
little  girl,  with  dovelike  eyes  and  silken  tresses,  was 
the  daughter  of  good  King  Bele. 

Together  the  little  ones  played  through  the  long 
pleasant  days  in  their  foster-father's  garden,  or 
wandered  through  the  woods,  or  climbed  the  hills 
that  sheltered  them  from  the  northern  winds.  The 
boy  would  seek  treasures  from  the  birds'  nests  for 
his  fair  companion,  not  even  fearing  to  rob  the 
mountain  eagle,  so  that  he  might  bring  the  spoil 
to  Ingebjorg.  He  would  also  take  her  far  out  on 


1 8  6  Wonder  fid  Stories. 

the  blue  sea  in  his  little  boat,  and  Ingebjorg  never 
felt  afraid  as  long  as  Frithiof  was  with  her. 

As  Frithiof  grew  older,  he  became  a  great  hunter, 
and  once  he  slew  without  weapons  a  fierce  bear, 
which  he  brought  home  in  triumph  and  laid  at 
Ingebjorg's  feet. 

During  the  winter  evenings,  they  sat  by  the 
blazing  logs  on  the  hearth,  and  Hilding  told  them 
wonderful  stories  of  Asgard  and  all  its  glories,  of 
Odin  the  king  of  the  gods,  and  of  the  beautiful 
Friga. 

But  Frithiof  thought  she  could  not  be  half  so 
beautiful  as  Ingebjorg.  And  once  he  said  so  to  her, 
and  it  pleased  her  exceedingly.  And  he  said, 
moreover,  that  when  he  was  a  man,  Ingebjorg  should 
be  his  wife.  This  also  she  was  glad  to  hear,  for 
she  loved  Frithiof  better  than  anyone  in  the  world. 

But  old  Hilding  told  them  not  to  talk  nonsense, 
for  Ingebjorg  was  a  king's  daughter,  and  Frithiof 
but  the  son  of  a  Thane. 


II. 

In  a  room  of  his  palace  stood  King  Bele.     He 
was  leaning  on  his  sword,  musing  over  all  that  was 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  1 8  7 

past,  and  thinking  of  the  future.  He  was  an  old 
man,  and  he  felt  that  his  strength  was  failing  him. 

With  him  was  his  faithful  friend  Thorsten 
Vikingsson.  They  had  grown  up  to  manhood 
together,  they  had  fought  in  many  a  battle  side 
by  side.  They  had  been  companions  at  many  a 
feast  and  revel,  and  now,  when  old  age  had  fallen 
upon  them,  they  drew  closer  to  one  another,  feeling 
that  the  hand  of  death  was  raised  to  summon  them 
into  another  world. 

'  The  end  of  life  is  near,'  said  the  king,  '  the 
shadow  of  death  is  cast  upon  me.  No  longer  do  I 
care  for  all  that  men  call  pleasure.  The  chase 
hath  lost  its  charm,  the  helmet  sits  heavy  upon  my 
brow,  and  the  mead  hath  lost  its  flavour.  I  would 
that  my  sons  were  here  so  that  I  might  give  them 
my  blessing.' 

Then  the  servants  summoned  to  King  Bele's 
presence  his  two  sons  Helgi  and  Halfdan.  Dark 
was  the  countenance  of  Helgi,  and  there  was  blood 
upon  his  hands,  for  he  had  just  been  assisting  at 
the  mid-day  sacrifice.  But  the  face  of  Halfdan 
was  bright  as  the  early  morning,  and  he  was  a% 
light  and  joyous  as  his  brother  was  dark  and 
gloomy. 


1 88  Wonderful  Stories. 

Frithiof  also  came,  for  the  Thane  Thorsten 
Vikingsson  desired  to  see  him,  that  he  too  might 
bless  his  son  when  King  Bele"  blessed  the  royal 
princes. 

And  the  two  old  friends  spoke  words  of  wisdom 
to  their  children,  and  prayed  that  the  gods  might 
be  with  them  in  peace  and  war,  in  joy  and  sorrow, 
and  grant  them  a  long  life  and  a  glorious  death. 

And  \vhen  their  counsels  and  prayers  were 
ended,  King  Bele  said,  'And  now,  O  sons,  I  bid  you 
remember,  in  that  day  when  death  shall  claim  me 
and  my  faithful  friend,  that  ye  lay  our  bones  side 
by  side  near  the  shore  of  the  great  ocean.' 


In  due  time,  King  Bele  died,  and  Helgi  and 
Halfdan  shared  his  kingdom  between  them. 

Thorsten  Vikingsson  died  also,  and  Frithiof  be- 
came lord  of  his  ancestral  home  of  Framnas. 

Rich  treasures  did  that  home  contain,  three  of 
them  of  magic  power. 

The  first  was  the  sword  of  Angurvadel.  Blood- 
red  it  shone  in  time  of  war,  and  woe  to  him  who 
contended  with  its  owner  on  the  battle-field. 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  189 

Next  was  an  arm-ring  of  pure  gold,  made  by  the 
god  Volund,  and  given  by  him  to  one  of  Thorsten 
Vikingsson's  forefathers.  Once  it  was  stolen  and 
carried  to  England  by  the  Viking  Sote,  but 
Thorsten  and  his  friend  King  Bele  pursued  the 
robber.  Over  the  sea  they  sailed  after  the  Viking, 
and  landed  at  a  lonely  place  where  the  rocks  reared 
up  their  sharp  points  and  made  the  coast  dangerous. 

There  were,  deep  caverns  which  the  waters  filled 
when  the  tide  was  up,  so  lone  and  dark  that  men 
were  almost  afraid  to  go  into  them. 

But  Thorsten  Vikingsson  and  the  king  his  master 
were  not  daunted.  Hither  had  they  come  after  the 
pirate,  and  here  it  was  that  he  had  last  been  heard 
of,  and  they  searched  along  the  shore  and  in  the 
caves,  and  peered  into  every  hole  and  cranny  until 
their  eyes  grew  strained  and  heavy,  but  no  Viking 
Sote  was  to  be  seen. 

They  had  almost  given  up  hope  of  finding  him, 
when,  looking  through  a  chink  that  had  hitherto 
escaped  their  notice,  a  fearful  sight  was  seen  by  the 
valiant  Thane. 

Within  a  mighty  vault,  forming  a  still  cold  tomb, 
there  lay  a  vessel  all  complete,  with  masts  and 
spars  and  anchor;  and  on  the  deck  there  sat  a  grim 


190  Wonderful  Stories. 

skeleton  clad  in  a  robe  of  flame,  and  on  his  skinless 
arm  glittered  the  golden  arm-ring  wrought  by 
Volund.  The  figure  held  in  his  left  hand  a  blood- 
stained sword,  from  which  he  was  trying  to  scour 
away  the  stains. 

'  It  is  my  arm-ring,'  said  Thorsten  Vikingsson  ; 
'  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  Viking  Sote.' 

And  forthwith  he  forced  his  way  into  the  tomb, 
and,  after  a  deadly  conflict  with  the  spectre,  regained 
his  treasure. 

And  the  two  friends  sailed  home  in  triumph. 

The  third  great  thing  that  Frithiof  inherited 
was  the  dragon-ship  Ellide,  which  his  forefathers 
had  won  in  the  following  manner  : — 

One  of  them,  a  rough  rude  Viking,  with  a  tender 
heart,  was  out  at  sea,  and  on  a  wreck  that  was  fast 
sinking  saw  an  old  man  with  green  locks  sitting 
disconsolately. 

The  good-natured  Viking  picked  him  up,  took 
him  home,  gave  him  of  the  best  of  food  and  of 
sparkling  mead,  and  would  have  lodged  him  in  his 
house ;  but  the  green-haired  man  said  he  could  not 
tarry,  for  he  had  many  miles  to  sail  that  night. 

'  But  when  the  sun  comes  up  in  the  east,'  added  ^ 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  191 

the  stranger,  '  look  for  a  thank-gift  on  the  wild  sea- 
shore.' 

And  behold,  as  morning  dawned,  the  Viking  saw 
a  goodly  vessel  making  gallant  headway.  As  she 
drew  near  the  land  with  streamer  flying  and  broad 
sails  flapping  in  the  wind,  the  Viking  saw  that 
there  was  no  soul  on  board  of  her,  and  yet  without 
steersman  to  guide  her  the  vessel  avoided  the 
shoals  and  held  her  way  straight  to  the  spot  where 
he  was  standing. 

Her  prow  was  a  dragon's  head,  a  dragon's  tail 
formed  her  stern,  and  dragon's  wings  bore  her 
along  swifter  than  an  eagle  before  the  storm. 

The  green-haired  stranger  was  a  sea-god,  and  the 
dragon-ship  Ellide  was  his  thank-gift. 

Thus  Frithiof,  though  only  the  son  of  a  Thane, 
had  treasures  that  might  have  been  coveted  by 
kings  and  princes.  He  sat  in  his  father's  halls, 
surrounded  by  his  companions  ;  upon  his  right 
was  seated  his  bosom  friend  Bjorn,  and  twelve 
bold  champions  clad  in  steel  were  ranged  around 
the  board.  And  they  drank  in  silence  to  the 
memory  of  Thorsten  Vikingsson. 

But  suddenly  the  harps  struck  up,  and  the  skalds 


!  g  2  Wonderful  Stories. 

poured  forth  their  songs  in  honour  of  the   dead 
Thane. 

And  Frithiof's  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  he  listened 
to  his  father's  praises. 


IV. 

In  spite  of  Frithiofs  wealth,  Helgi  and  Half- 
dan  looked  with  disdain  upon  the  son  of  their 
father's  friend,  and  when  Frithiof  asked  to  have 
Ingebjorg  for  his  wife,  Helgi  scornfully  answered, 
'  My  sister  shall  not  wed  the  son  of  a  Thane.  If 
you  like  to  be  our  serf,  we  will  make  room  for  you 
among  our  servants.' 

Then  went  Frithiof  away  in  wrath. 

There  was  another  suitor  for  the  hand  of  Ingebjorg, 
good  old  King  Ring,  who,  having  lost  his  wife, 
thought  that  the  Lily  of  the  North  would  make  a 
tender  mother  to  his  little  son. 

And  he  sent  to  Helgi  and  Halfdan  to  ask  for 
Ingebjorg  in  marriage,  but  the  brothers  treated  him 
as  they  had  treated  Frithiof ;  and  the  old  king  was 
roused,  and  he  swore  he  would  revenge  himself. 

Helgi  and  Halfdan  were  afraid  when  they  found 
that  Ring  was  really  making  ready  for  war.  They 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  193 

began  to  get  their  army  into  order,  and  placed 
Ingebjorg  for  safety  in  the  temple  of  Balder,  and  in 
their  distress  they  even  sent  to  Frithiof  to  ask  him 
to  come  and  help  them. 

They  chose  wisely  in  the  messenger  they  sent 
to  plead  for  them,  for  it  was  none  other  than  old 
Hilding,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  Frithiof  in  his 
childhood. 

Frithiof  was  playing  at  chess  with  Bjorn  when 
Hilding  arrived.  He  pretended  not  to  hear  the 
message,  and  went  on  with  his  game. 

'Shall  the  pawn  save  the  king?'  he  asked  of  Bjorn. 

And  after  a  time  he  added, 

'  There  is  no  other  way  to  save  the  queen.' 
Which  showed  that  he  had  been  all  the  time 
occupied  with  Hilding's  errand. 

Therefore  he  returned  with  the  old  peasant,  and 
contrived  to  see  Ingebjorg  in  the  temple  of  Balder 
and  found  that  she  still  loved  him  as  much  as  he 
loved  her,  and  did  not  wish  to  marry  anyone  else. 

And  again  he  asked  Helgi  and  Halfdan  if  they 
were  willing  that  Ingebjorg  should  be  his  wife. 

And  again  the  brothers  said  Nay  with  scorn,  and 
told  him  that  he  had  profaned  the  temple  of  Balder 
by  speaking  to  Ingebjorg  within  its  walls. 
O 


1 94  Wonderful  Stories. 

'For  such  a  misdeed/  said  Helgi,  'death  or 
banishment  is  the  doom,  and  thou  ajt  in  our  power. 
Nevertheless,  we  are  willing,  as  we  wish  to  make 
thee  useful  to  us,  to  forego  the  penalty.  Thou 
shalt  therefore  sail  forth  to  the  distant  Orkney 
Isles,  and  compel  Jarl  Angantyr  to  pay  the  tribute 
that  he  owes  us.' 

Frithiof  would  have  refused  to  go,  but  Ingebjorg 
persuaded  him  to  undertake  the  mission,  for  she 
was  afraid  of  her  brothers,  and  knew  that  Frithiof 
would  be  safer  on  the  wild  seas  than  in  their  hands. 

At  last  Frithiof  consented,  and  he  took  leave  of 
Tngebjorg,  and  placed  the  golden  bracelet  that 
Volund  had  made  upon  her  arm,  praying  her  to 
keep  it  for  his  sake. 

And  then  he  sailed  away  over  the  heaving  waters, 
and  Ingebjorg  mourned  that  her  lover  was  gone. 


V. 

Over  the  sea.  It  was  calm  enough  when  Frithiof 
started ;  the  storm-winds  were  asleep,  and  the  waters 
heaved  gently  as  though  they  would  fain  help 
speed  the  dragon-ship  peacefully  on  her  way. 

But  King  Helgi  standing  on  a  rock  repented  that 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  195 

he  had  suffered  the  noble  Frithiof  to  escape  his 
malice,  and  as  he  watched  the  good  ship  Ellide 
riding  over  the  sea,  he  prayed  loudly  to  the  ocean 
fiends  that  they  would  trouble  the  waters  and  raise 
a  fierce  tempest  to  swallow  up  Frithiof  and  the 
dragon-ship. 

All  at  once,  the  sparkling  sea  turned  leaden  grey, 
and  the  billows  began  to  roll,  the  skies  grew  dark, 
and  the  howl  of  the  driving  wind  was  answered  by 
a  sullen  roar  from  the  depths  beneath.  Suddenly, 
a  blinding  flash  of  lightning  played  around  the 
vessel,  and  as  it  vanished  the  pealing  thunder 
burst  from  the  clouds.  The  raging  sea  foamed, 
and  seethed,  and  tossed  the  vessel  like  a  feather 
upon  its  angry  waves,  and  deeper  sounded  the 
thunder,  and  more  fiercely  flashed  the  lightning 
round  the  masts. 

Wilder,  wilder,  wilder,  grew  the  storm.  Alas,  for 
Frithiof! 

'  Ho  !  take  the  tiller  in  hand,'  shouted  Frithiof  to 
Bjorn,  '  and  I  will  mount  to  the  topmost  mast  and 
look  out  for  danger.' 

And  when  he  looked  out,  he  saw  the  storm- 
fiends  riding  on  a  whale.  One  was  in  form  like  to  a 
great  white  bear,  the  other  like  unto  a  terrible  eagle. 


196  Wonaerful  Stories. 

'  Now  help  me,  O  gift  of  the  sea-god  !  Help  me, 
my  gallant  Ellide  ! '  cried  Frithiof. 

And  the  dragon-ship  heard  her  master's 
voice,  and  with  her  keel  she  smote  the  whale ;  so 
he  died,  and  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  leaving 
the  storm-fiends  tossing  upon  the  waves. 

'  Ho,  spears  and  lances,  help  me  in  my  need  ! ' 
shouted  Frithiof,  as  he  took  aim  at  the  monsters. 

And  he  transfixed  the  shrieking  storm-fiends, 
and  left  them  entangled  in  the  huge  coils  of  sea- 
weed which  the  storm  had  uprooted. 

'Ho,  ho!'  laughed  rugged  Bjorn,  'they  are 
trapped  in  their  own  nets.' 

And  so  they  were;  and  they  were  so  much 
taken  up  with  trying  to  free  themselves  from  the 
seaweed  and  from  Frithiof 's  long  darts,  that  they 
were  unable  to  give  any  heed  to  the  storm,  which 
therefore  went  down,  and  Frithiof  and  his  crew 
sailed  on,  and  reached  the  Orkney  Isles  in  safety. 

'  Here  comes  Frithiof,'  said  the  Viking  Atle.  '  I 
know  him  by  his  dragon-ship.' 

And  forthwith  the  Viking  rose  and  went  forth  ; 
he  had  heard  of  the  strength  of  Frithiof,  and 
wished  to  match  himself  against  hifn. 

He  did  not  wait  to  see  whether  Frithiof  came  in 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  197 

enmity  or  friendship.  Fighting  was  the  first 
thing  he  thought  of,  and  what  he  most  cared  for. 

However,  the  Viking  had  the  worst  of  it  in  the 
battle. 

'  There  is  witchcraft  in  thy  sword,'  said  he  to 
Frithiof. 

So  Frithiof  threw  his  sword  aside,  and  they 
wrestled  together,  unarmed,  until  Atle  was  brought 
to  the  ground. 

Then  spake  Frithiof:  'And  if  I  had  my  sword 
thou  wouldst  not  long  be  a  living  man.' 

'  Fetch  it,  then,'  replied  Atle.  '  I  swear  by  the 
gods  that  I  will  not  move  until  thou  dost  return.' 

So  Frithiof  fetched  his  sword,  but  when  he  saw 
the  conquered  Viking  still  upon  the  ground,  he 
could  not  bring  himself  to  slay  so  honourable  a 
man. 

'Thou  art  too  true  and  brave  to  die,'  said 
Frithiof;  'rise,  let  us  be  friends.' 

And  the  two  combatants  went  hand  in  hand  to 
the  banquet  hall  of  Angantyr,  Jarl  of  the  Orkney 
Islands. 

A  splendid  hall  it  was,  and  a  rare  company  of 
heroes  was  there,  and  all  listened  eagerly  as 
Fnthiof  told  his  story,  and  wherefore  he  had  come. 


198  Wonderful  Stories. 

'  I  never  paid  tribute  to  King  Bele,  though  he 
was  an  old  friend  of  mine,'  said  the  Jarl,  as  Fri- 
thiof  ended  his  speech,  '  nor  will  I  to  his  sons.  If 
they  want  aught  of  me  let  them  come  and  take 
it.' 

'  It  was  by  no  choice  of  my  own  that  I  came 
upon  such  an  errand,'  returned  Frithiof,  '  and  I 
shall  be  well  content  to  carry  back  your  answer.' 

'  Take  also  this  purse  of  gold  in  token  of  friend- 
ship,' continued  the  Jarl,  'and  remain  with. us,  for  I 
knew  thy  father.' 

Thus  Frithiof  and  the  Jarl  became  good  friends, 
and  Frithiof  consented  to  stay  for  awhile  in  the 
Orkney  Islands  ;  but  after  a  time  he  ordered  out  his 
good  ship  Ellide,  and  set  sail  for  his  native  land. 


VI. 

But  fearful  things  had  come  to  pass  since  he  had 
left  .his  home!  Framnas,  the  dwelling  of  his 
fathers,  was  a  heap  of  ruins,  and  the  land  was 
waste  and  desolate. 

And  as  he  stood  upon  the  well-loved  spot,  striv- 
ing to  find  some  traces  of  the  past,  his  faithful 
hound  bounded  forth  to  greet  him,  and  licked  his 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  199 

master's  hand.  And  then  his  favourite  steed  drew 
near,  and  thrust  his  nose  into  Frithiof's  hand, 
hoping  to.  find  therein  a  piece  of  bread,  as  in  the 
days  of  old.  His  favourite  falcon  perched  upon 
his  shoulder,  and  this  was  Frithiof's  welcome  to  the 
home  of  his  ancestors. 

There  had  been  a  fierce  battle,  for  King  Ring 
with  his  army  had  come  against  Helgi  and 
Halfdan,  and  the  country  had  been  laid  waste, 
and  many  warriors  slain. 

And  when  all  chance  of  withstanding  him  was 
at  an  end,  the  brothers,  rather  than  lose  their  king- 
dom, had  consented  that  Ingebjorg  should  be  the 
wife  of  Ring. 

Ingebjorg  was  married  !  Frithiof's  heart  was  full 
of  deep  sorrow,  and  he  turned  his  steps  towards  the 
temple  of  Balder,  hoping  that  at  the  altar  of  the 
god  he  might  meet  with  consolation. 

In  the  temple  he  found  King  Helgi,  and  the 
sorrow  that  was  weighing  down  Frithiof's  heart 
gave  place  to  hatred  and  revenge. 

Caring  nothing  for  the  sacred  place,  he  r-ushed 
madly  forward.  '  Here,  take  thy  tribute,'  said  he, 
and  he  threw  the  purse  that  Jarl  Angantyr  had 
given  him  with  such  force  against  the  face  of  the 


2OO  Wonderful  Stories. 

king  that  Helgi  fell  down  senseless  on  the  steps  of 
the  altar. 

Next,  seeing  his  arm-ring  on  the  arm  of  the 
statue,  for  Helgi  had  taken  it  from  Ingebjorg  and 
placed  it  there,  he  tried  to  tear  it  off,  and,  lo  !  the 
image  tottered  and  fell  upon  the  fire  that  was 
burning  with  sweet  perfumes  before  it. 

Scarcely  had  it  touched  the  fire  when  it  was 
ablaze,  and  the  flames  spreading  rapidly  on  every 
side,  the  whole  temple  was  soon  a  smouldering 
heap  of  ruins. 

Then  Frithiof  sought  his  ship.  He  vowed  that 
he  would  lead  a  Viking's  life,  and  leave  for  ever  a 
land  where  he  had  suffered  so  much  sorrow.  And 
he  put  out  to  sea. 

But  no  sooner  were  his  sails  spread  than  he  saw 
ten  vessels  in  chase  of  him,  and  on  the  deck  of 
one  stood  Helgi,  who  had  been  rescued  from  the 
burning  temple,  and  had  come  in  chase  of  him. 

Yet  Frithiof  was  rescued  from  the  danger  as  if 
by  miracle,  for  one  by  one  the  ships  sank  down  as 
though  some  water  giant  had  stretched  out  his 
strong  arm,  and  dragged  them  below,  and  Helgi 
only  saved  himself  by  swimming  ashore. 

Loud  laughed  Bjorn. 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  201 

'  I  bored  holes  in  them  last  night,'  said  he,  '  it  is 
a  rare  ending  to  Helgi's  fleet' 

'  And  now,'  said  Frithiof,  '  I  will  for  ever  lead  a 
Viking's  life.  I  care  not  for  aught  upon  the  land. 
The  sea  shall  be  my  home.  And  I  will  seek 
climes  far  away  from  here.' 

So  he  steered  the  good  ship  Ellide  southward, 
and  among  the  isles  of  Greece  strove  to  forget 
the  memories  of  bygone  days. 


VII. 

In  and  out  of  the  sunny  islands  that  lay  like 
bosses  of  emerald  on  a  silver  shield  sailed  Frithiof, 
and  on  the  deck  of  the  dragon-ship  he  rested 
through  the  summer  nights,  looking  up  at  the 
moon,  and  wondering  what  she  could  tell  him  of 
his  northern  land. 

Sometimes  he  dreamed  of  his  home  as  it  was 
before  the  war-time.  Sometimes  he  dreamed  of 
the  days  wrhen  he  and  Ingebjorg  roamed  through 
the  fields  and  woods  together,  or  listened  to  old 
Hilding's  stories  by  the  blazing  hearth,  and  then  he 
would  wake  up  with  a  start  and  stroke  his  faithful 
hound,  who  was  ever  near  him,  saying,  'Thou 


2  o  2  Wonder fu  I  Stories. 

alone  knowest  no  change  ;  to  thee  all  is  alike,  so 
long  as  thy  master  is  with  thee.' 

One  night,  however,  as  Frithiof  was  musing  on 
the  deck  of  his  vessel,  gazing  into  the  cloudless 
sky,  a  vision  of  the  past  rose  up  before  him ;  old 
familiar  faces  crowded  round  him,  and  in  their 
midst  he  marked  one,  best  beloved  of  all,  pale,  sad 
with  sorrowful  eyes,  and  her  lips  moved,  and  he 
seemed  to  hear  her  say,  '  I  am  very  sad  without 
thee,  Frithiof.' 

Then  a  great  longing  came  upon  Frithiof  to  see 
Ingebjorg  once  more.  He  would  go  northward,  even 
to  the  country  of  King  Ring;  he  must  see 
Ingebjorg.  What  did  he  care  for  danger?  He 
must,  go. 

To  the  cold  dark  north. 

Yet  he  dared  not  go  openly,  for  King  Ring 
looked  upon  him  as  an  enemy,  and  would  seize  him 
at  once,  and  if  he  did  not  kill  him  would  shut  him 
up  in  prison,  so  that  either  way  he  would  not  see 
the  beautiful  queen. 

Frithiof  therefore  disguised  himself  as  an  old 
man,  and,  wrapped  in  bearskins,  presented  himself 
at  the  palace. 

The  old  king  sat  upon  his  throne,  and  at  his  side 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  203 

was  Ingebjorg  the  Fair,  looking  like  spring  by  the 
side  of  fading  autumn. 

As  the  strangely  dressed  figure  passed  along, 
the  courtiers  jeered,  and  Frithiof,  thrown  off  his 
guard,  angrily  seized  one  of  them,  and  twirled  him 
round  with  but  little  effort. 

'  Ho  ! '  said  the  king,  '  thou  art  a  strong  old  man, 
O  stranger !  Whence  art  thou  ? ' 

'  I  was  reared  in  anguish  and  want,'  returned 
Frithiof;  'sorrow  has  filled  a  bitter  cup  for  me, 
and  I  have  almost  drunk  it  to  the  dregs.  Once  I 
rode  upon  a  dragon,  but  now  it  lies  dead  upon  the 
sea-shore,  and  I  am  left  in  my  old  age  to  burn  salt 
upon  the  strand.' 

'  Thou  art  not  old,'  answered  the  wise  king  ;  '  thy 
voice  is  clear,  and  thy  grasp  strong.  Throw  off  thy 
rude  disguise,  that  we  may  know  our  guest.' 

Then  Frithiof  threw  aside  his  bearskin,  and 
appeared  clad  in  a  mantle  of  blue  embroidered 
velvet,  and  his  hair  fell  like  a  golden  wave  upon 
his  shoulder. 

Ring  did  not  know  him,  but  Ingebjorg  did ;  and 
when  she  handed  the  goblet  for  him  to  drink,  her 
colour  went  and  came  '  like  to  the  northern  light 
on  a  field  of  snow.' 


2O4  Wont&rful  Stories. 

And  Frithiof  stayed  at  the  court  until  the  year 
came  round  again,  and  spring  once  more  put  forth 
its  early  blossoms. 

One  day  a  gay  hunting  train  went  forth,  but  old 
King  Ring,  not  being  strong,  as  in  former  years, 
lay  down  to  rest  upon  the  mossy  turf  beneath  some 
arching  pines,  whilst  the  hunters  rode  on. 

Then  Frithiof  drew  near,  and  in  his  heart  wild 
thoughts  arose.  One  blow  of  his  sword,  and 
Ingebjorg  was  free  to  be  his  wife. 

But  as  he  looked  upon  the  sleeping  king,  there 
came  a  whisper  from  a  better  voice,  '  It  is  cowardly 
to  strike  a  sleeping  foe.' 

And  Frithiof  shuddered,  for  he  was  too  brave  a 
man  to  commit  murder. 

'  Sleep  on,  old  man,'  he  muttered  gently  to  him- 
self. 

But  Ring's  sleep  was  over.  He  started  up.  '  O 
Frithiof,  why  hast  thou  come  hither  to  steal  an  old 
man's  bride  ? ' 

'  I  came  not  hither  for  so  dark  a  purpose,' 
answered  Frithiof;  '  I  came,  but  to  look  on  the  face 
of  my  loved  Ingebjorg  once  more.' 

'  I  know  it,'  replied  the  King,  '  I  have  tried  thee, 
I  have  proved  thee,  and  true  as  tried  steel  hast 


The  Story  of  Frithiof .  20^ 

thou  passed  through  the  furnace.  Stay  with  us 
yet  a  little  longer,  the  old  man  soon  will  be 
gathered  to  his  fathers,  then  shall  his  kingdom  and 
his  wife  be  thine.' 

But  Frithiof  replied  that  he  had  already  remained 
too  long,  and  that  on  the  morrow  he  must  depart. 

Yet  he  went  not,  for  death  had  visited  the  palace, 
and  old  King  Ring  was  stretched  upon  his  bier, 
whilst  the  bards  around  sang  of  his  wisdom. 

Then  arose  a  cry  among  the  people,  '  We  must 
choose  a  king  ! ' 

And  Frithiof  raised  aloft  upon  his  shield  the  little 
son  of  Ring. 

'Here  is  your  king,'  he  said,  '  the  son  of  wise  old 
Ring.' 

The  blue-eyed  child  laughed  and  clapped  his 
hands  as  he  beheld  the  glittering  helmets  and 
glancing  spears  of  the  warriors.  Then  tired  of  his 
high  place,  he  sprang  down  into  the  midst  of 
them. 

Loud  uprose  the  shout,  '  The  child  shall  be  our 
king,  and  the  Jarl  Frithiof  regent.  Hail  to  the 
young  king  of  the  Northmen  !' 


206  Wonderful  Stories. 

vni. 

But  Frithiof  in  the  hour  of  his  good  fortune  did 
not  forget  that  he  had  offended  the  gods.  He 
must  make  atonement  to  Balder  for  having  caused 
the  ruin  of  his  temple.  He  must  turn  his  steps 
once  more  homeward. 

Home!  Home!  And  on  his  father's  grave  he 
sank  down  with  a  softened  heart,  and  grieved  over 
the  passion  and  revenge  that  had  swayed  his  deeds. 
And  as  he  mourned,  the  voices  of  unseen  spirits 
answered  him,  and  whispered  that  he  was  forgiven. 

And  to  his  wondering  eyes  a  vision  was  vouch- 
safed, and  the  temple  of  Balder  appeared  before 
him,  rebuilt  in  more  than  its  ancient  splendour,  and 
deep  peace  sank  into  the  soul  of  Frithiof. 

'  Rise  up,  rise  up,  Frithiof,  and  journey  onward.' 

The  words  came  clear  as  a  command  to  Frithiof, 
and  he  obeyed  them.  He  rose  up,  and  journeyed 
to  the  place  where  he  had  left  the  temple  a  heap 
of  blackened  ruins. 

And,  lo !  the  vision  that  had  appeared  to  him 
was  accomplished,  for  there  stood  the  beautiful 
building,  stately  and  fair  to  look  upon.  So  beauti- 
ful, that,  as  he  gazed,  his  thoughts  were  of  Valhalla. 


The  Story  of  Frithiof.  207 

He  entered,  and  the  white-robed  silver-bearded 
priest  welcomed  the  long  absent  Viking,  and  told 
him  that  Helgi  was  dead,  and  Halfdan  reigned 
alone. 

'And  know,  O  Frithiof,' said  the  aged  man,  'that 
Balder  is  better  pleased  when  the  heart  grows  soft 
and  injuries  are  forgiven,  than  with  the  most  costly 
sacrifices.  Lay  aside  for  ever  all  thoughts  of 
hatred  and  revenge,  and  stretch  out  to  Halfdan  the 
hand  of  friendship.' 

Joy  had  softened  all  Frithiof's  feelings  of  anger, 
and,  advancing  to  Halfdan,  who  was  standing  near 
the  altar,  he  spoke  out  manfully. 

'  Halfdan,'  he  said,  '  let  us  forget  the  years  that 
have  gone  by.  Let  all  past  evil  and  injury  be 
buried  in  the  grave.  Henceforth  let  us  be  as 
brothers,  and  once  more  I  ask  thee,  give  me 
Ingebjorg  to  be  my  wife.' 

And  Halfdan  made  answer,  '  Thou  shalt  be  my 
brother.' 

And  as  he  spoke,  an  inner  door  flew  open,  and  a 
sweet  chorus  of  youthful  voices  was  heard.  A 
band  of  maidens  issued  forth,  and  at  their  head 
walked  Ingebjorg  fairer  than  ever. 


208  Wonderful  Stories. 

Then  Halfdan,  leading  her  to  Frithiof,  placed  her 
hand  within  that  of  the  Viking. 

'Behold  thy  wife/  said  Halfdan.  'Well  hast  thou 
won  her.  May  the  gods  attend  upon  your  bridal.' 

So  Ingebjorg  became  the  wife  of  Frithiof  at  last. 

Thus  steps  of  sorrow  had  but  led  them  to  a 
height  of  happiness  that  poets  love  to  sing.  Paths 
thick  with  thorns  had  blossomed  into  roses,  and 
wreaths  of  everlasting  flowers  had  crowned  the 
winter  snows.  And  midst  the  lights  and  shadows 
of  the  old  North  land,  their  lives  flowed  on  like  to 
two  united  streams  that  roll  through  quiet  pastures 
to  the  ocean  of  eternity. 


LONDON:  PRINTED  BY 

SPOTTI9WOODB  AXD   CO.,    NEW-STREET    SQUARE 
AND  PARLIAMENT  STREET 


1870.] 


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SwMTMAH's    Through    the    Night,    and 

WILCOCK'S  Sea  Fisherman  
WILLIAMS'S  Ari«totle's  Ethics  
History  ofWale  
WILLIAMS  on  Climate  of  South  of  France 

TAYLOR'S  History  of  India  3 

WILLIS'S  Principles  ofIMechanism  '.'. 

TMIRLTT  ALL'S  Hiitory  of  Greece.  .  .  .".  2 
THOMPSON'S  (Archbishop)  Laws  of  Thought     7 
CA.T.)  Conspectus  15 

WOOD'S  Bible  Animals  
Homes  without  Hands  ,  
WOOD  WARD'S  Historical  and  Chronological 

Three  Weddings  24 
TODD(A.)  on  Parliamentary  GoTernment      1 
T»DD  and  BOWMAN'S  Anatomy  and  Phy- 

YEO'S  Manual  of  Zoology  
V  DM;  K'S  Entrlish-Grcek  Lexicon*  
Editions  of  Horace  
YoUATTonthe  Dog  
on  the  Horse  

ZELLER'S  Socrates  

TRF.>-CH'S  Realities  of  Irish  Life                      •? 

TBOLLOPB'B  Barchester  Towers  84 
Warden                                         21 

TwiBS's  Law  orations  27 
TTKDALL  on  Diamaguetism  12 
Heat  11 

tONDOlf:    PRINTED   BY 

BPOTTISWOODE   AND    CO.,    NEW-STHEEI    SQCAEE 
AITD  PABLIAHENT   BIBBEI 


*nw  LO  URL 


OCT  81984 

1  5  1985 


OL 


JAN  3  1  1391 


MOV  2  7  1995 
C.L.    NOV29'95 

4WKJUN  042004 


!T£B  1  7  1993 


THE  TJRRARY 


" 


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